Eugenio Scalfari, revolutionized Italy’s journalism, dies

By FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari has died at 98. Scalfari helped revolutionize Italian journalism by founding liberal daily newspaper La Repubblica. The Rome-based paper broke ground when it burst onto already crowded newsstands in 1976, grabbing attention with punchy headlines and a sassy style. It was known for going hard after Silvio Berlusconi, the media mogul who led three governments as Italy’s premier. The president of the Italian Senate announced Scalfari’s death on Thursday and led lawmakers in a minute of silence. It was a testament to his enduring influence that Scalfari’s weekly columns continued to ruffle feathers even after he retired as La Repubblica’s editor in 1996.