"Not Journalism but Stalking" VS "Justice Prevails": Controversy Over Italian Expos? Program

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[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Controversy is growing over journalistic ethics as a man whose personal information and residence were exposed by an Italian TV investigative program took his own life.

According to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on the 9th (local time), the Forl? Prosecutor's Office in northern Italy launched an investigation into the death of Roberto Zaccaria (64), who committed suicide on the 6th. The prosecution plans to investigate the connection between the program and the suicide, based on the fact that Zaccaria took his own life five days after the broadcast of the Italian Channel 1 investigative program Le Iene Show.

Le Iene Show highlighted the story of Daniele, a 24-year-old man who ended his life on September 23 of last year, in its broadcast on the 1st. The show pointed out that Daniele's death began with online chatting with Zaccaria and reconstructed his story.

Before his extreme decision, Daniele was deeply infatuated with a beautiful woman named "Irene Martini," whom he met through online chatting. He had nurtured this love online for about a year without ever meeting her in person. In reality, such a woman did not exist. She was a fictional character fabricated by Zaccaria impersonating a woman. The photos were also fake. Based on interviews with the bereaved family, Le Iene Show suggested that Daniele, upon discovering that the woman he loved was actually a man in his 60s, could not bear the shock and took his own life.

The program even went to Zaccaria's residence and attempted a surprise interview. Living alone with his elderly mother, Zaccaria was seen near his home pushing his mother’s wheelchair. Flustered, he refused the interview and hurried back inside. Although the TV camera pixelated Zaccaria’s face, his tattoos on his arm, physique, residence, and the front gate of his house were fully exposed.

Zaccaria’s lawyer stated, "The deceased was deeply shocked after seeing a banner near his home following the broadcast." While Le Iene Show mentioned Zaccaria’s suicide in its broadcast on the 8th, saying "a tragedy within a tragedy has occurred," it did not issue an apology. Instead, the show added, "We will continue to cover such cases in the future."

As Le Iene Show showed no remorse or apology and maintained that its reporting was justified, online criticism surged. Comments such as "They sold death and caused another death," and "This is not journalism but stalking that mercilessly destroyed a human life," flooded social media. While some called for the program’s cancellation, others defended it, saying "Justice has prevailed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.