Italy has one of the most diverse media landscapes in Europe: major, long-established newspapers, powerful news agencies, an exceptionally strong regional press, and three daily sports newspapers—a phenomenon rarely found anywhere else in this form. This overview shows you who shapes the news in Italy, how the market is currently changing, and where you can best stay informed.
A Market in Flux
First, the most important development: Print newspapers are rapidly losing ground. Circulation figures for major newspapers have fallen by double digits in 2026—with some titles seeing a decline of more than 10 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, the digital subscriptions, and most publishers have long since been calculating their reach as a combination of print and digital.
A second characteristic is the close interconnection between Media, Politics, and Industry: Many publications are owned by publishing groups backed by industrial families or corporations. This shapes news coverage and is a recurring theme in the debate on media diversity.
The News Agencies
News agencies are at the beginning of the news chain. By far the most important one is the ANSA (founded in 1945), a cooperative of publishing houses and the only Italian agency with a significant international network. In addition, there are AGI (1950, part of the Eni Group), Adnkronos (1963), askanews as well as LaPresse, Dire, and Italpress. See the guide for details News Agencies in Italy.
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The major daily newspapers
For decades, the newspaper with the highest circulation has been the Corriere della Sera from Milan, followed by La Repubblica (Rome) and the business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. In addition, La Stampa (Turin), Il Messaggero, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Il Giornale, Libero and the Catholic Avvenire. Who supports which position and what the quotas will be in 2026 is outlined in the Listicle on the Major Daily Newspapers.
Regionally strong like almost no other country
An Italian specialty: The Regional Newspapers are extremely prominent. In many regions, people tend to read Il Gazzettino, Il Mattino, Il Secolo XIX or L’Eco di Bergamo as a national newspaper. South Tyrol is particularly relevant for German speakers: There, the Dolomites and the Daily newspaper (tageszeitung.it) two German-language daily newspapers. These should be distinguished from online-only portals that do not have a print edition— suedtirolnews.it, unsertirol24.com and salto.bz – as well as RAI South Tyrol radio. For more information, see Regional Newspapers in Italy.
Online Portals and Digital Services
The landscape has shifted online: In addition to the websites of major newspapers, there are online-only media outlets such as Fanpage, Open or the explanation format The Post. The following shows which portals are worth using for what Listicle on the Best Online News Sites.
TV and Radio
Television remains the most important source of news in Italy. The landscape is divided between public broadcasters RAI with its news programs (TG1, TG2, TG3), the private Mediaset-Group, La7 and the news channel Sky TG24. The guide provides an overview, including the broadcasting fee TV and Radio in Italy.
Sports and Business: Two Separate Worlds
Italy is treating itself to three national sports dailies – the pink one Gazzetta dello Sport, the Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport. On the other hand, there is Il Sole 24 Ore one of Europe's most prestigious business newspapers. Learn more in the guide Sports and Business Press.
What is the situation regarding freedom of the press?
Critical: Italy slipped in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index Ranked 56th in 2026 down from 49th place last year and 46th place in 2024. The organization cites political pressure on RAI, threats against journalists by the Mafia, and the misuse of lawsuits for intimidation as reasons for the ranking. You can read about the ranking at Freedom of the Press in Italy.
News from Italy in German
Anyone who wants to follow the news from Italy but isn’t (yet) fluent in Italian has to rely on German-language sources—from correspondents’ reports in major DACH media outlets to specialized websites. You can find a comparison in the Listicle on German-language news about Italy – including the regional sections News South Tyrol and News Trentino. A note about ourselves: italien.news is this portal and appears in this comparison.
And if you want to practice the language: Italian newspapers are an excellent learning tool—you can find out how to use them for this purpose under Italian Newspapers for Language Learning and in the guide Learn Italian.
What You Can Do Next
Use this overview to get a sense of the Italian media landscape, and then make a targeted choice: a major daily newspaper for a national perspective, a regional newspaper for your local area, an online portal for quick updates—and a German-language source while your Italian is still developing.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About the Media in Italy
Sources
- ADS – Accertamenti Diffusione Stampa (Circulation Figures) (accessed July 2026)
- Reporters Without Borders – 2026 World Press Freedom Index (accessed July 2026)
- AGCOM – Communications Regulatory Authority (accessed July 2026)
