l'Unità

{{about|the Italian newspaper|similarly named topics|Unita (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox newspaper

| name = {{lang|it|l'Unità}}

| image = 20090305 l'unità frontpage.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = Front page, 5 March 2009

| motto = {{Lang|it|Fondata da Antonio Gramsci}}
("Founded by Antonio Gramsci")

| type = Daily newspaper

| format = Berliner

| foundation = 12 February 1924

| ceased publication =

| owners = Romeo editore srl

| political = Communism
(1924–1991)
Social democracy
(1991–currently)
Left-libertarianism
(2023–currently)
Social liberalism
(2015–2017)
Parties:
PCI (1924–1991)
PDS (1991–1998)
DS (1998–2007)
PD (2007–2017)

| circulation = 20,937 (April 2014)

| headquarters = Via di Pallacorda 7, Rome, Italy

| editor = Piero Sansonetti

| ISSN = 0391-7002

| website = [http://unita.it unita.it]

| logo = L'Unità_Logo.svg

| italic title = no

}}

File:Cuore n.1 header.jpg]]

{{lang|it|l'Unità}} ({{IPA|it|luniˈta|lang}}; English: "the Unity") is an Italian newspaper, founded as the official newspaper of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in 1924. It was supportive of that party's successor parties, the Democratic Party of the Left, Democrats of the Left, and, from October 2007 until 2017, the Democratic Party.

The newspaper closed on 31 July 2014.{{cite news|publisher=E Polis|title=Addio a l'Unità dal 1° agosto. I giornalisti: ci hanno uccisi|page=2|date=30 July 2014}} It was restarted on 30 June 2015, but it ceased again on 3 June 2017.[http://www.huffingtonpost.it/2017/06/03/chiude-lunita-ultimo-numero-in-pdf-cosi-si-calpesta-una-stor_a_22123811/ "Chiude L'Unità, ultimo numero in Pdf. "Così si calpesta una storia"]. On 16 May 2023, it was relaunched for a third time as an independent publication under the editorship of Piero Sansonetti.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-15 |title=L'Unità torna in edicola dopo sette anni. Il direttore Sansonetti: "Saremo dalla parte dei più deboli" |url=https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2023/05/15/news/unita_giornale_torna_in_edicola_dopo_sette_anni-400225721/ |access-date= |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}

History and profile

{{lang|it|l'Unità}} was founded by Antonio Gramsci{{cite news|title=Austerity threatens Europe's Left press|url=http://revolting-europe.com/2012/01/12/austerity-threatens-europes-left-press/|access-date=1 July 2015|work=Revolting Europe|date=12 January 2012}} on 12 February 1924 as the "newspaper of workers and peasants", the official newspaper of the Italian Communist Party (PCI).{{cite book|author=Angela Vettese|editor=Bernhard Mendes Bürgi|title=Arte Povera. The Great Awakening|date=2012|publisher=Hatje Cantz|isbn=978-3-7757-3357-1|chapter-url=http://www.iuav.it/Ateneo1/chi-siamo/pubblicazi1/pubblicazi/immagini/Arte-Povera.pdf|access-date=19 April 2015|chapter=Italy in the Sixties: A Historical Glance}} The paper was printed in Milan with a circulation of 20,000 to 30,000. On 8 November 1925, publications were blocked by the city's prefect together with Avanti!, the newspaper of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). After an assassination attempt on Benito Mussolini (31 October 1926), its publication was completely suppressed. A clandestine edition was resumed on the first day of 1927 with irregular circulation in Milan, Turin, Rome and in France. Full publication was resumed after the Allied conquest of Rome on 6 June 1944, the new editor-in-chief being Celeste Negarville.

After the liberation from the German occupation in 1945, new local editions began in Milan, Genoa and Turin, the latter edited by philosopher Ludovico Geymonat. Elio Vittorini became the editor-in-chief of {{lang|it|l'Unità}} during this period.{{cite book|author=Herbert Lottman|title=The Left Bank: Writers, Artists, and Politics from the Popular Front to the Cold War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LTVWDNQAMT8C&pg=PA252|access-date=28 December 2014|date=15 November 1998|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-49368-8|page=252}} The newspaper's contributors included Davide Layolo, Luigi Cavallo, Ada Gobetti, Cesare Pavese, Italo Calvino, Alfonso Gatto, Aldo Tortorella and Paolo Spriano. In the same year, the {{lang|it|festa de l'Unità|italic=no}} was launched in most Italian cities. In 1957, the Genoese, Milanese and Torinese editions were merged into a single edition for northern Italy.

The newspaper's editorships were unified in 1962 under Mario Alicata, who was succeeded by Maurizio Ferrara in 1966. In 1974, daily circulation of {{lang|it|l'Unità}} amounted to 239,000 copies, but in the early 1980s this number was to fall substantially, mostly due to competition from the new left-oriented la Repubblica: the 100 million copies sold in 1981 decreased by two-fifths in just one year alone, to 60 million in 1982. It was also in 1982 that a document was published by the newspaper which accused the Christian Democratic minister Vincenzo Scotti of collaborating with the Camorra leader Raffaele Cutolo, a claim that was subsequently proved to be false.See {{in lang|it}} Marina Maresca, 'Ecco il documento che accusa', {{lang|it|l'Unità}}, 18 March 1982, p. 1. The editor-in-chief Claudio Petruccioli resigned and was replaced by Emanuele Macaluso. Massimo D'Alema, the future Prime Minister of Italy, was managing-director until July 1990.

From 1989 to 1990, the newspaper was accompanied by the satirical weekly magazine Cuore, directed by Michele Serra. In 1991, the title changed from Journal of the Italian Communist Party to Journal founded by Antonio Gramsci. From 1992 to 1996, its director was Walter Veltroni, who started periodically providing free gifts, such as books and videocassettes, with copies of the newspaper.

The newspaper ceased publication for eight months from 28 July 2000 to 28 March 2001 because of financial problems. Following this uncertain period, it was published by Baldini & Castoldi, a company not linked to the Democrats of the Left (DS) or Democratic Party (PD); however, its political position continued to be strongly tied to the DS and PD.

In May 2008, Tiscali founder and Sardinia president Renato Soru finalized a deal to become the new newspaper owner.{{cite news|language=it |title=Editoria, Soru compra l'Unità. Una fondazione gestirà il giornale|url=http://www.repubblica.it/2008/05/sezioni/economia/soru-unita/soru-unita/soru-unita.html|work=La Repubblica|access-date=28 August 2008|date=20 May 2008}} One of the first moves made by the new property was the appointment of former la Repubblica journalist Concita De Gregorio as new editor-in-chief in August 2008,{{cite news|author=Anna Momigliano|title=In Italy, Female Editor Signals Women's Rise|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2008/0916/p07s02-woeu.html|access-date=|work=The Christian Science Monitor|date=16 September 2008}} replacing Antonio Padellaro in the post.{{cite news|language=it|title=Concita De Gregorio alla guida dell'Unità|url=http://www.corriere.it/cronache/08_agosto_22/de_gregorio_unita_9f47595c-702d-11dd-9278-00144f02aabc.shtml|work=Corriere della Sera|access-date=26 August 2008|date=22 August 2008}} In June 2009, Maurizio Mian's Gunther Reform Holding invested €3m to acquire a 20% stake in {{lang|it|l'Unità}}, still under the ownership of Soru.{{cite news |last1=Scafi |first1=Massimiliano |title=Il 'cane Gunther' si è comprato un pezzo dell Unità |url=https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cane-gunther-si-comprato-pezzo-dell-unit.html |access-date=24 December 2021 |publisher=Il Giornale |date=27 June 2009 |language=Italian}} On 7 May 2012, the paper began to be published in Berliner format.{{cite web|title=Redesign newspaper: L'unita, Italy|url=https://www.behance.net/gallery/15445069/Redesign-newspaper-Lunita-Italy|work=Behance|access-date=9 February 2015}}

{{lang|it|l'Unita}} again suspended publication on 31 July 2014.[http://www.unita.it/italia/unita-cessazione-pubblicazione-liquidazione-fago-nie-mian-ioannuzzi-pd-renzi-bonifazi-1.583242 "Hanno ucciso l'Unità"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808120413/http://www.unita.it/italia/unita-cessazione-pubblicazione-liquidazione-fago-nie-mian-ioannuzzi-pd-renzi-bonifazi-1.583242|date=8 August 2014}}. {{lang|it|l'Unità}}. 30 July 2014.{{cite news|title=Italian Communist party paper folds after 90 years|url=http://www.thelocal.it/20140802/italian-communist-party-paper-folds-after-90-years|access-date=25 November 2014|work=The Local|date=2 August 2014}} A meeting of shareholders was unable to decide how to keep the newspaper financially viable as debts amounted to €30 million.Lizzy Davies (30 July 2014). [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/30/italy-lunita-newspaper-stop-publication "Italian newspaper stops publication as shareholders fail to agree rescue deal"]. The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2018.

On 30 June 2015, {{lang|it|l'Unità}} resumed its publications, under the new editor Erasmo d'Angelis and with a renewed graphic style; the new owner was Stefano Pessina, a major Italian building businessmen, while a minority share was owned by the Democratic Party. The newly-relaunched paper soon found itself in financial crisis again, with a net loss of 250,000 euros per month and only 8,000 copies sold (out of the 60,000 printed).{{Cite web |last=Bozza |first=Claudio |date=17 May 2016 |title=Cambia l'Unità: dopo D'angelis alla direzione arriverà Luna - Corriere.it |url=http://www.corriere.it/politica/16_maggio_17/cambia-l-unita-d-angelis-direzione-arrivera-luna-fd9bb17a-1bf5-11e6-86d1-c1e2db24bea0.shtml?refresh_ce-cp |access-date= |website=Corriere della Sera |archive-date=21 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821212246/http://www.corriere.it/politica/16_maggio_17/cambia-l-unita-d-angelis-direzione-arrivera-luna-fd9bb17a-1bf5-11e6-86d1-c1e2db24bea0.shtml?refresh_ce-cp |url-status=bot: unknown }} In an attempt to improve the situation, the owners dismissed D'Angelis and appointed Sergio Staino (a cartoonist who had longed worked for the paper) as new editor; this proved ineffective and on 3 June 2017 {{lang|it|l'Unità}} ceased publications for the third time.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-03 |title=L'Unità, interrotte le pubblicazioni. Ultimo numero in Pdf: "Così si calpesta una storia. Nel silenzio del Pd" |url=https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2017/06/03/news/unita_sospende_pubblicazioni_ultimo_numero_in_pdf_cosi_si_calpesta_una_storia_-167107530/ |access-date= |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}

From 2018 to 2022, {{lang|it|l'Unità}} published only one number a year, in order to avoid losing its publication license.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-25 |title=L'Unità torna in edicola: solo per un giorno e per evitare la decadenza della testata |url=https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/25/news/l_unita_in_edicola_torna_in_edicola_per_un_giorno-197309919/ |access-date= |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}{{Cite web |last=Raimo |first=Alfonso |date=2019-05-25 |title=Maurizio Belpietro direttore dell'Unità per un giorno, il Cdr insorge: "È uno scempio" |url=https://www.dire.it/25-05-2019/336443-maurizio-belpietro-direttore-dellunita-per-un-giorno-il-cdr-insorge-e-uno-scempio/ |access-date= |website=Agenzia Dire |language=it-IT}}{{Cite web |date=2020-05-09 |title=L'Unità torna in edicola, ma solo per un numero e con la direzione del 5 Stelle Di Nicola |url=https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2020/05/09/news/l_unita_torna_in_edicola_ma_solo_per_un_numero-256185128/ |access-date= |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}

On 27 July 2022, the publishing company of {{lang|it|l'Unità}} declared bankruptcy and the paper was put for sale in public auctions.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-29 |title=L'Unità, fallita la società che la editava: testata andrà all'asta. Cdr e Fnsi: "Torni a vivere. Se non ora, quando?" |url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2022/07/29/lunita-fallita-la-societa-che-la-editava-testata-andra-allasta-cdr-e-fnsi-torni-a-vivere-se-non-ora-quando/6746730/ |access-date= |website=Il Fatto Quotidiano |language=it-IT}}

On 22 November 2022, the Romeo Editore srl group (which had recently acquired and relaunched Il Riformista) bought {{lang|it|l'Unità}} with an offer of 910,000 euros.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-22 |title=Romeo e Sansonetti rilanciano L'Unità. Il Riformista cerca direttore in "area Calenda" |url=https://www.primaonline.it/2022/11/22/366621/romeo-e-sansonetti-acquistano-la-testata-lunita-per-rilanciarla-a-inizio-2023/ |access-date= |website=Prima Comunicazione |language=it-IT}} Piero Sansonetti was subsequently appointed editor and the newspaper resumed publications on 16 May 2023.

Circulation

The 1988 circulation of {{lang|it|l'Unita}} was 300,000 copies.{{cite book|author=Peter Humphreys|title=Mass Media and Media Policy in Western Europe|date=1996|publisher=Manchester University Press|page=90|isbn=9780719031977|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2vlTzbOGhdIC&dq=media+and+magazines+in+central+europe&pg=PR6|access-date=29 October 2014}} In 1991, the paper had a circulation of circa 156,000 copies, but next year its circulation was 124,000 copies.{{cite book|editor1=David Forgacs|editor2=Robert Lumley|title=Italian Cultural Studies:An Introduction|url=https://www.questia.com/read/99405254/italian-cultural-studies-an-introduction|date=1996|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, England|access-date=|archive-date=28 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228184127/https://www.questia.com/read/99405254/italian-cultural-studies-an-introduction|url-status=dead}} In 1997, it was the tenth best-selling Italian newspaper with a circulation of 82,078 copies.{{cite web|author1=Jose L. Alvarez|author2=Carmelo Mazza|author3=Jordi Mur|title=The management publishing industry in Europe|url=http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/OP-99-04-E.pdf|work=University of Navarra|access-date=27 April 2015|format=Occasional Paper No:99/4|date=October 1999|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100630042406/http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/OP-99-04-E.pdf|archive-date=30 June 2010}} The circulation of the paper was 49,536 copies in 2008 and 53,221 copies in 2009.{{cite web|title=National Newspapers|url=http://www.ifabc.org/site/assets/media/National-Newspapers_total-circulation_IFABC_17-01-13.xls|work=International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulations|access-date=5 March 2015}} It fell to 44,450 copies in 2010. In April 2014, the paper had a circulation of 20,937 copies.[http://www.primaonline.it/2014/06/09/185912/ "Data (April 2014)"]. Accertamenti Diffusione Stampa. In 2016, circulation had fallen to 8,000 copies and further declined to 7,000 copies in 2017.