Sigfrido Ranucci will no longer host Report, the investigative program that has become the beating heart of Italian public-service journalism. The decision, announced by RAI with a terse note, comes just weeks after the bombing that left Ranucci hospitalized and follows a summer of escalating rumors about the succession.
The deal, as RAI framed it
Two new co-hosts take over from 8 November: Giulia Presutti, an internal Report producer, and Daniele Piervincenzi, an external hire. RAI describes the choice as “a new phase for one of the most important deep-investigation programmes in the public service, entrusted to two journalists who won a RAI internal competition and bring field experience.”
What RAI did not say — what its own staff are now demanding — is whether an audit into Report’s editorial independence will precede the handover. That silence is, in the words of the show’s reporters, the single biggest legal vulnerability in the decision.
The reporters’ revolt
The inviati — the field reporters who have anchored Report’s credibility for two decades — responded to the announcement with a collective ultimatum: immediate, blanket resignation if RAI does not reverse course. Their objection is methodological as much as personal. The decision was communicated before the 2 September meeting between Approfondimento director Paolo Corsini and the editorial team, meaning the people who produce the show never had the chance to pitch an alternative.
“It is unacceptable on method,” one reporter told Corriere della Sera. “And on substance: the two chosen figures do not represent, in any way, the history and values of Report.”
Corsini’s only concession was to name two internal capo-autori — Bernardo Iovene and Giulio Valesini — as the editorial team’s point of reference. Both refused to serve, saying their “general availability” had been solicited by Corsini without any information about the incoming hosts, whose names they learned from the wire services.
Where does Ranucci go?
Under “syndical agreements and professional-path procedures,” RAI has offered three options: vice-director at TG3 or RaiNews24 (an ad personam appointment), or a foreign posting. Ranucci has not publicly confirmed any of them.
The political echo
The split between the centre-left and the government is sharp. Giulia Floridia (Five Star, RAI board member) called the move “unacceptable.” Salvini, for his part, was brief: “Good riddance.” Schlein, the PD’s acting secretary, said the outcome was “written long ago — the right reached its objective.”
Whether Report actually returns on 8 November is now an open question. The reporters’ resignation threat is real, and the RAI board’s minority — three independent directors — have already registered a formal objection.
Source: Corriere della Sera, 29 August 2026.