Free press is sacred for us - Di Maio

(see related story) (ANSA) - Rome, November 13 - Deputy Premier and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio said Tuesday that his 5-Star Movement (M5S) respected freedom of the press. Di Maio has come under fire after describing reporters who worked on a trial that culminated with Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi being acquitted in a case about an appointment as "jackals". Another M5S bigwig, Alessandro Di Battista, called journalists "prostitutes and hacks".
    "Freedom of information is sacred for us, but press freedom cannot be freedom to tell lies, freedom to offend," Di Maio said in a live broadcast on Facebook. "If there's freedom to tell lies, I have the right to defend myself.
    "You guarantee a free press primarily by improving the working conditions of journalists, above all, those that are so badly paid there are on the verge of exploitation.
    "We want to guarantee the free press with fair pay".
    Di Maio also said it was a bit rich for the opposition to attack the M5S over this issue, saying several highly respected journalists were sidelined at State broadcaster RAI under former centre-left premier Matteo Renzi and three-time centre-right premier Silvio Berlusconi.