On the night of October 16, 2025, a powerful explosion rocked a quiet street in Pomezia, just south of Rome. The target: the car of Sigfrido Ranucci, one of Italy's most prominent investigative journalists and the lead anchor of Report, a hard-hitting investigative series aired on RAI3, Italy’s state-run television channel. The blast, which occurred just outside Ranucci’s home, destroyed his car, damaged another family vehicle, and blew out the front gate of his house. Miraculously, no one was injured, but the incident has sent shockwaves through Italy’s media and political landscape, raising pressing questions about the safety of journalists and the state of press freedom in the country.
According to Report, the explosion was so violent that it could have killed anyone walking by at that moment. The gravity of the situation was underscored by the fact that Ranucci’s daughter had passed by the spot just half an hour earlier. Ranucci himself had only just returned home when the device detonated. Police, firefighters, and forensic teams rushed to the scene, and Italy’s anti-Mafia authorities quickly took charge of the investigation, signaling the seriousness with which officials are treating the attack.
The timing of the explosion was chillingly symbolic. It occurred on the eighth anniversary of the assassination of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed by a car bomb after years of exposing corruption and malfeasance in Malta’s political and business circles. Like Caruana Galizia, Ranucci has faced intense pressure and threats for his reporting. In fact, he has been under police protection since 2021 due to ongoing threats linked to his investigations into the Cosa Nostra, ‘ndrangheta, far-right crime groups, and notorious Mafia killings.
Standing outside the offices of RAI after the blast, Ranucci spoke to journalists about the relentless pressure he and his team have faced. “Whoever thinks they can condition the work of Report by doing something like this will get the opposite effect,” he declared, according to the Associated Press. “The only thing this does is maybe makes us waste some time.” He described the explosion as an “escalation” following two years of threats that he believes are directly related to Report’s investigations into organized crime and corruption.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was quick to condemn the attack, calling it “the serious act of intimidation he has suffered.” In a statement released Friday, she expressed her solidarity with Ranucci and underscored the fundamental role of a free press in democracy: “Freedom and independence of information are essential values of our democracies, which we will continue to defend.” Her words were echoed by a chorus of support from across Italy’s political spectrum and the journalistic community.
Nicola Fratoianni, leader of the Green and Left Alliance (AVS), wrote, “We hope that the investigations will be swift and that the truth about what happened, and who committed the attack, will be known soon. The most urgent duty we have, especially in politics, is to stand by Ranucci, without ifs or buts.” He added, “Every half-sentence, every half-word can sound like an attempt at delegitimisation. And we have unfortunately learned from the recent past of this country that there is no easier target than a man left alone. With Ranucci, with his family and with the entire Report editorial team.”
Italy’s journalist unions and the trade union Usigrai also issued strong statements of solidarity. “A terrifying attack that takes us back to the darkest years. We stand by Sigfrido Ranucci and his family after his car exploded in front of his house last night. His daughter had passed by just minutes before,” Usigrai said. The union further vowed, “We are certain that neither Sigfrido nor his colleagues at Report will be intimidated. We will always stand by them so that they can continue their investigative work freely.” Usigrai also highlighted a troubling trend: “In recent months, we have denounced how Rai has reduced the airtime available to Report and particularly the climate of hatred and intolerance towards the editorial staff’s investigations. In prime time on Rai1, the second highest office of the state even went so far as to describe Report staff as ‘serial slanderers,’ without either the presenter or the company distancing themselves. A hate campaign against investigative journalism that must end.”
This attack comes at a time when Report stands nearly alone among Italian television programs in its dogged pursuit of stories involving powerful politicians, business leaders, and public figures. Ranucci and his team have faced a barrage of defamation lawsuits over the years—just this week, he was absolved in the latest case brought against him for one of Report’s stories. The timing of the attack, coming so closely after his legal victory, has only deepened suspicions that it was meant to send a chilling message to those who challenge entrenched power.
The shadow of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder looms large over the incident. She, too, was the target of numerous libel suits and threats meant to silence her reporting. Her killers were recently brought to justice: two men were sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for complicity in her murder, while two others pleaded guilty in 2022 and received 40-year sentences. The parallels are hard to ignore, and many in the Italian and international press community fear that the attack on Ranucci could signal a new wave of violence against journalists.
For now, the investigation continues, with anti-Mafia magistrates and forensic experts combing through the evidence. The hope, as voiced by Fratoianni and others, is that the perpetrators will be swiftly identified and brought to justice. In the meantime, the solidarity shown by Italian political leaders, unions, and journalists sends a clear signal: intimidation and violence will not silence those committed to exposing the truth.
As the dust settles in Pomezia, the message from Ranucci and his colleagues is one of defiance and resilience. The attack may have destroyed property and rattled nerves, but it has not—and will not—deter their pursuit of investigative journalism. If anything, it has only strengthened their resolve to shine a light on the darkest corners of Italian society, no matter the risks.