What has pushed me to journalism since I was a kid was curiosity – that desire to know, to discover, to learn something more, something new, something different every day. And tell the readers.
For me this is a fantastic stimulus, which at some point gave me an addiction though. And when I got behind a desk to pass the articles of others, every day, for years and years, I ended up in a withdrawal crisis and I wasn’t sorry at all to get back to where I once belonged.
In recent times, therefore, I have given free rein to my admiration for novelty and learning, rediscovering the pleasure of telling the others about the world around us (which is increasingly digital, for example, and needs for new and specific skills that one just can’t improvise and that corporate world absolutely has to implement).
But if, on one side, consultancy’s wonderful world is liberating and fulfilling, on the other – like all the beautiful things in life – it has a price. While compiling my tax return I actually realized that for my ongoing education I spent almost 8,000 Euros in 2016.
It squares. After all, I followed over 200 classes, 60 percent of which abroad (moreover in internationally recognized institutes). Indeed, I was even lucky: 200 hours make an exact working month (8 hours per day for 25 days), in which outstanding professionals chosen by me have worked for me on subjects decided exclusively by myself.
Then, for the record, I’ve been through another eight hours of distance training, which means online upgrading courses totally free and kindly offered by the National Journalists’ Chamber.
Well, actually I would have been so pleased to give up these last eight hours, qualitatively very modest, and certainly I would never have spent a dime if they were worthy of money. But, you know, under the Italian law I must get a minimum of 15 educational credits per year, who knows what could happen if I don’t… so those eight extra hours were just inevitable.
Now you might be wondering: «Well, he just wrote he had followed as many as 200 residential classes, 120 of which certified by recognized organizations around the world, and then he tells us they were not enough to get 15 miserable education credits! Does it make sense?».
It does, you bet! Just to say, in front of a document bearing the stamp of the University of Cambridge, I was told that the aforementioned University of Cambridge is not a recognized education institution, because – poor old University – it never had the foresight to ask for the Italian Journalists’ Chamber’s endorsement of the study programs that it patrons all over the world.
I doubt that Cambridge faculty will ever notice their colossal mistake, so it’s a good idea to give in to a bitter laugh and follow the rules. Better any education than no education, you might think.
But then I recall Libero’s title: «Fedez “crazy” act in front of Ferragni: he pulls it out live on TV», referring to the engagement ring with which the singer asked the hand of the fashion blogger; I also recall that La Repubblica names Grillo on Facebook «poor delusional idiot»; that the Corriere della Sera writes “Canal of Sicily” to indicate the waters behind Libya, with a consciously rough attitude, because (I herewith quote Francesco Verderami in his intervention on La7): «…the expression is intended to give an interpretation of the area» (after the “perceived temperature” there was the actual need of “perceived geography”, wasn’t there?) and that virtually the whole of the Italian press – RAI included – believed the incredible story of Italian Zuckerberg, Matteo Achilli (here you find the masterful reconstruction <http://www.ninjamarketing.it/2017/04/10/matteo-achilli-egomnia-film-thestartup/> by Fabio Casciabanca for NinjaMarketing).
To sum up: low sensationalism, flaming-based engagement, attitude as rough as it can be… and the National Chamber just says nothing, with a typical Cambridge-style aplomb.
What to say? My beloved journalism is probably dead. And I do not think readers feel so good themselves. For instance, I begin to have a strong nausea. And you? Comment is free.