10 Years of ‘Inviati di Guerra’ the Book by Andrea Motta
Catania, March 24, 2024 – Today marks the tenth anniversary of the release of Andrea Motta’s eBook, “Inviati di guerra. Storie e protagonisti del giornalismo in aree di crisi” (“War Correspondents: Stories and Protagonists of War Journalism”), which was published on March 24, 2014, across major digital platforms including Amazon, Hoepli, Feltrinelli, and Kobo.
The book remains sadly relevant today, given the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip that capture global attention. It delves into the role of war correspondents, one of the most heroic and authentic positions in journalism. These reporters risk their lives to provide accurate information from some of the most dangerous places on Earth, reporting events firsthand.
Table of Contents
The Role of War Correspondents
The book contrasts true war journalism with reporters who choose to stay safe in hotels, relying solely on official statements for their reports. Real journalism requires seeking out news on the ground, being in the right place at the right time. A dedicated journalist strives for the truth, eager to be on the front lines not as a spectator, but as a witness to human tragedies. This eBook traces a historical and journalistic path, reconstructing the mission of war correspondents, avoiding easy rhetoric and supported by fundamental, often complex, texts on journalism history.
In 2014, the book was showcased both on Radio Smile and Sestarete screens. Two years later, in 2016, it became the focal point of a conference titled “Dialogue among Civilisations in Catania: What can journalism do on behalf of Global Democracy,” led by philosopher Giovanni Pampanini at the Astalli Centre in Catania. Andrea Motta, at that time living in London, joined the session remotely. Among the attendees was Professor Maria Del Carmen Saldaña Rocha from the National Pedagogical University of Mexico City.
The Inspiration Behind Andrea Motta's Book
The work was inspired by Andrea Motta’s dissertation, submitted back in 2012 at the University of Catania, as a part of his degree in International Communications. Titled “Inviati di guerra e giornalismo sociale. L’Afghanistan e l’Africa di Maria Grazia Cutuli“ (“War Correspondents and Social Journalism: The Afghanistan and Africa of Maria Grazia Cutuli”), the disseration, nominated for the 2012 Maria Grazia Cutuli International Journalism Award, reconstructs Cutuli’s interests and movements as a war reporter, particularly focusing on her experiences in Afghanistan and Africa. It compares her work with the principles of “social journalism” inspired by Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński and analyzes Cutuli’s articles for various publications, not just Corriere della Sera but also earlier pieces for magazines like Grazia and Marie Claire.
Academic Recognition and Use of Andrea Motta's eBook
Over the past decade, “War Correspondents: Stories and Protagonists of War Journalism” has been purchased about a hundred times and has been included in the bibliographies of dissertations by at least two students, who sought inspiration for their work on journalism and war correspondents:
- Massimo Giurato: Graduated from Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, School of Political Sciences, with a dissertation titled “ONG e informazione. Come le organizzazioni non governative si inseriscono nei processi di produzione delle notizie“ (“NGOs and Information: How Non-Governmental Organizations Integrate into News Production Processes”), in the 2015-2016 academic year, supervised by Prof. Augusto Valeriani and co-supervised by Prof. Saveria Capecchi.
- Davide Capitanio: Graduated from the University of Padua, with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences, with a dissertation titled “La Gestione della crisi: la comunicazione italiana durante i conflitti internazionali” (“Crisis Management: Italian Communication during International Conflicts”), in the 2023-2024 academic year, supervised by Prof. Ilenia Sanna.
Limited Offer on Andrea Motta's War Correspondents Book
Andrea Motta’s eBook has been sold since 2014 at a fixed price of €7.99; however, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its publication, will be available for a month at a discounted price of €2.99 on major online stores, including Mondadori and IBS. Therefore, if you speak Italian (or perhaps are trying to learn) don’t miss out. Also, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me using the contact form on this site.
