Rome Daily American
Encyclopedia
Rome Daily American was an English language
daily newspaper
published in Rome
, Italy
which operated from 1946 to 1986.
, the American Military newspaper which had been published there during and just after World War II
. Its model and competitor for sales was the International Herald Tribune
published in Paris, but it took two days for copies to reach Rome.
It was 40% owned by the CIA as part of Operation Mockingbird
until the early 1970s. The intent of this ownership was to provide cover for CIA operatives and to influence the Italian electorate which was threatening to vote Communist at that time.
In the mid-1970s it was nominally owned by Chantal du Bois, the pen-name of Gabriella Lepore, housed in a central Rome (Via di Santa Maria in via 12) palazzo just off the Corso between the Parliament and the Trevi Fountain. The Daily American was produced and "put to bed" each early evening alongside the production of the small daily house organ of the centrist PSDI (Italian Social Democratic Party). A Daily American radio station was also on site, with bi-lingual deejays broadcasting wire-service news and contemporary pop music. Unionized Italian typographers worked with an English-speaking, some bilingual, editorial staff of self-exiled Vietnam era expatriates, expat holdovers from World War II, and a cadre of American "interns" imported from top U.S. journalism schools—all under low wages of 250 thousand lire per month (US dollar then at approximately 1 to 650 lire). The paper's earlier CIA connections were by then overstated if at all even existent, as daily operations were overseen by the avuncular former AP career journalist, the iconic Iowan turned Roman, Jim Long.
In the 1953 film Roman Holiday
, Gregory Peck played a Rome Daily American reporter romancing a princess played by Audrey Hepburn, holding her hand to the famous Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth).
Under union strife in 1977, much of the Daily American staff bolted to the then newly founded International Daily News (its founder having connections through his American father with the original Daily American), many of those same baby-boomer staffers eventually going on to careers in journalism with American publications and services such as United Press International
(UPI), Associated Press
(AP), Congressional Quarterly
, USA Today
, U.S. News & World Report
, NPR
, and other publications, some also moving into academia in Italian-related studies and publications.
Veteran Daily American critics such as John Francis Lane (film), featured with Gore Vidal
in Federico Fellini
's Roma
, and Brendan Fitzgerald (dance) were icons of the Roman arts scene when many said the Eternal City was dead.
It went into receivership in 1984. At that time, it was publishing 15,000 papers. Competition from the tabloid International Daily News, in 1977, appeared to hasten its demise.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
which operated from 1946 to 1986.
History
It was started by three GIs taking advantage of the discontinuation of the publication in Europe of Stars and StripesStars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
, the American Military newspaper which had been published there during and just after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Its model and competitor for sales was the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
published in Paris, but it took two days for copies to reach Rome.
It was 40% owned by the CIA as part of Operation Mockingbird
Operation Mockingbird
Operation Mockingbird was a secret Central Intelligence Agency campaign to influence foreign media beginning in the 1950s.The activities, extent and even the existence of the CIA project remain in dispute: the operation was first called Mockingbird in Deborah Davis' 1979 book, Katharine the Great:...
until the early 1970s. The intent of this ownership was to provide cover for CIA operatives and to influence the Italian electorate which was threatening to vote Communist at that time.
In the mid-1970s it was nominally owned by Chantal du Bois, the pen-name of Gabriella Lepore, housed in a central Rome (Via di Santa Maria in via 12) palazzo just off the Corso between the Parliament and the Trevi Fountain. The Daily American was produced and "put to bed" each early evening alongside the production of the small daily house organ of the centrist PSDI (Italian Social Democratic Party). A Daily American radio station was also on site, with bi-lingual deejays broadcasting wire-service news and contemporary pop music. Unionized Italian typographers worked with an English-speaking, some bilingual, editorial staff of self-exiled Vietnam era expatriates, expat holdovers from World War II, and a cadre of American "interns" imported from top U.S. journalism schools—all under low wages of 250 thousand lire per month (US dollar then at approximately 1 to 650 lire). The paper's earlier CIA connections were by then overstated if at all even existent, as daily operations were overseen by the avuncular former AP career journalist, the iconic Iowan turned Roman, Jim Long.
In the 1953 film Roman Holiday
Roman Holiday
Roman Holiday is a 1953 romantic comedy directed and produced by William Wyler and starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. It was written by John Dighton and Dalton Trumbo, though with Trumbo on the Hollywood blacklist, he did not receive a credit; instead, Ian McLellan Hunter fronted for him...
, Gregory Peck played a Rome Daily American reporter romancing a princess played by Audrey Hepburn, holding her hand to the famous Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth).
Under union strife in 1977, much of the Daily American staff bolted to the then newly founded International Daily News (its founder having connections through his American father with the original Daily American), many of those same baby-boomer staffers eventually going on to careers in journalism with American publications and services such as United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
(UPI), Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP), Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, and other publications, some also moving into academia in Italian-related studies and publications.
Veteran Daily American critics such as John Francis Lane (film), featured with Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
in Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
's Roma
Roma (1972 film)
Roma, also known as Fellini's Roma, is a 1972 semi-autobiographical, poetic film depicting director Federico Fellini's move from his native Rimini to Rome as a youth. It is formed by a series of loosely connected episodes. The plot is minimal, and the only character to develop significantly is...
, and Brendan Fitzgerald (dance) were icons of the Roman arts scene when many said the Eternal City was dead.
It went into receivership in 1984. At that time, it was publishing 15,000 papers. Competition from the tabloid International Daily News, in 1977, appeared to hasten its demise.
Namesakes
The American Magazine, published in Rome in English takes its name from the Rome Daily American.Editors
- Michael KeonMichael KeonMichael Keon was an Australian political journalist and author. His articles and books mainly focus on Asian politics and the military actions that surround the changes and transitions in political power.-Biography:...
— 1953- < 1963 - David Mazzarella — 1971-1975
- Christoper P. Winner — 1981-1984