Parliamentary Press Association

The Associazione Stampa Parlamentare (ASP), or Parliamentary Press Association, is an Italian membership-based body founded in December 1918 and headquartered at Palazzo Montecitorio in Rome. It is the directing and safeguarding organisation for journalists who cover parliamentary and political affairs in Italy. According to its official website and Italian Wikipedia, the ASP brings together around 400 journalists who report on political and parliamentary information across the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate of the Republic, other parliamentary venues and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (Palazzo Chigi). The association's core function is to protect and regulate the free access of journalists to political information sources, a right guaranteed by Article 64 of the Italian Constitution. This access is managed in cooperation with the offices of the Chamber, the Senate and Palazzo Chigi. The first statute of 1918 established the "Sindacato della Stampa Parlamentare" with the aim of protecting the professional and moral interests of its members and making designations to the parliamentary Questors for admission to the press gallery and the internal premises of the Chamber. Beyond access regulation, the ASP is known for two long-standing traditions. The first is the annual "Cerimonia del Ventaglio" (Fan Ceremony), held in the last two weeks of July, during which the association presents a decorated fan to the presidents of the Chamber and Senate and, finally, to the President of the Republic. The first fan dates back to 6 July 1893, when journalists in the press gallery sent a simple paper fan signed by them to the then President of the Chamber, Giuseppe Zanardelli. Since 2006 the fans for the three presidents have been chosen in collaboration with the Accademia di Belle Arti, which publishes an annual national competition; only in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was the competition not held, and the ASP returned to the 1893 origin by giving a white fan signed by all its members to the three presidents. The second tradition is the year-end press conference of the incumbent Prime Minister, organised in collaboration with the Ordine dei Giornalisti, a custom dating back to 1977. The ASP has a president, currently Adalberto Signore, a correspondent for Il Giornale, who has held the office since 8 June 2022. The association's statute, list of members and organisational chart are available on its website. Its history reflects the broader struggles of the Italian press for independence, having been suppressed under Fascism in 1926 and reconstituted between June and July 1944, before resuming regular functions on 25 September 1945 when the Consulta Nazionale held its first session at Montecitorio.

The Associazione Stampa Parlamentare (ASP) was founded in December 1918 as the "Sindacato della Stampa Parlamentare" (Parliamentary Press Syndicate). Its first statute, dating from 1918, states in Article 1: "E' costituito in Roma il Sindacato della Stampa Parlamentare, il quale ha per fine la tutela degli interessi professionali e morali dei soci e di fare designazioni agli onorevoli Questori, che valgano per l'ammissione nella Tribuna della Stampa e nei locali interni alla Camera" (A Parliamentary Press Syndicate is constituted in Rome, with the aim of protecting the professional and moral interests of its members and making designations to the honourable Questors for admission to the Press Gallery and the internal premises of the Chamber). From its foundation, the ASP's task has been to regulate—in collaboration with the offices of the Chamber, Senate and Palazzo Chigi—journalists' access to these buildings. This was not merely a technical matter: leaving access management exclusively to politicians, especially in the early decades of the twentieth century, effectively allowed the institutions to influence political communication and thus compromise press freedom. In those years, only reporters not considered "hostile" were admitted to the building, while all others remained outside. The ASP was born in 1918 precisely from this impulse and had to contend with the pressures of those years. With the advent of Fascism, in 1926 the Associazione Stampa Parlamentare "was overwhelmed by the same fate as the Federazione Nazionale della Stampa and the federated regional associations." A Fascist syndicate of parliamentary press survived, but only as a "political instrument of Fascism." Only between June and July 1944, after the Allies arrived in Rome but while the war still raged in northern Italy and Parliament had not yet reopened, did the Associazione Stampa Parlamentare begin to take shape again. It returned to its regular functions on 25 September 1945, the day Montecitorio hosted the first session of the Consulta Nazionale. Once the doors of the Chamber reopened, the ASP "returned to officially exercise its functions: facilitating journalists tasked with following the work of the two Chambers; representing member journalists before the institutions with which they were in contact; and overseeing the galleries and premises reserved for the press." These remain the association's peculiar functions under Articles 1 and 2 of its current statute. Over the decades, the ASP has also become known for its ceremonial traditions. The Cerimonia del Ventaglio (Fan Ceremony) dates back to 6 July 1893, when journalists in the press gallery sent a modest paper fan bearing their signatures to President Giuseppe Zanardelli, who thanked them from the presidential seat. Over the years this became a tradition, and since 2006 the fans for the three presidents (Chamber, Senate and Quirinale) have been chosen in collaboration with the Accademia di Belle Arti, which publishes an annual national competition. Only in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was the competition not held; the ASP returned to the 1893 origin by giving the three presidents (Roberto Fico at the Chamber, Elisabetta Casellati at the Senate and Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale) a white fan signed by all journalists enrolled in the association. The year-end press conference of the Prime Minister, organised with the Ordine dei Giornalisti, has been a custom since 1977. Today the ASP has around 400 members, permanently accredited by major print outlets, agencies and television and radio broadcasters that request accreditation according to procedures set by the ASP statute. The statute, list of members and organisational chart are available on the association's website. Since 8 June 2022, the President of the Associazione Stampa Parlamentare has been Adalberto Signore, a correspondent for Il Giornale.

• 2022

  On 8 June, Adalberto Signore became President.

• 2020

  Due to COVID-19, the Accademia di Belle Arti competition was not held; a white fan signed by all members was given to the three presidents.

• 2006

  Fans for the three presidents began to be chosen in collaboration with the Accademia di Belle Arti.

• 1977

  Year-end press conference of the Prime Minister became a tradition.

• 1945

  On 25 September, returned to regular functions as Montecitorio hosted the first session of the Consulta Nazionale.

• 1944

  Between June and July, after the Allies arrived in Rome, the association began to take shape again.

• 1926

  Overwhelmed by the same fate as the Federazione Nazionale della Stampa under Fascism; a Fascist syndicate of parliamentary press survived as a political instrument.

• 1918

  Founded in December as the Sindacato della Stampa Parlamentare.

Professional association representing and protecting parliamentary journalists in Italy.

1. 1Associazione Stampa Parlamentare official websitestampaparlamentare.it
2. 2Associazione stampa parlamentare - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Associazione stampa parlamentare - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org