Scafati. 'Try again, you'll be luckier': this could be the title of a press conference called this morning by the three-member commissioner group governing the Municipality of Scafati, following its dissolution due to mafia infiltration. They announced the handover of a property confiscated from organized crime. On the sidelines of the meeting, reviewing their work over the past four months, the new commissioners (Prefect Giorgio Manari, Rosanna Sergio, and Vincenzo Greco) listed the next objectives of the special commission, with a view to restoring legality and citizen services, and returning to normalcy. "We are experts," said Prefect Manari, "we will leave a trail for those who follow us." And they were about to leave just such a trail in terms of transparency and communication, only to then—that afternoon—adjust the situation with a press release. One of the triad members, Vincenzo Greco, announced that the Commission has intensified its communications efforts and is therefore setting up a Facebook page to maintain contact and engagement with citizens. This is certainly a laudable initiative, bucking the extreme closed-mindedness toward the public that preceded him a few months ago.
Greco then announced that the person in charge of press relations would be Dr. Carmen Davide, who was present at the meeting and who would also manage the institutional Facebook page. The embarrassment of those present was immediately evident: the Municipality did not announce any public tender, nor any expression of interest in the search for personnel for communications activities. “The Municipality of Scafati – explained Rosanna Sergio – has no resources, we are working to access European funds and finance projects”. A statement to imply that the 'press relations officer' would not receive any compensation. But this is a detail that should be overlooked in terms of transparency, communication and compliance with the law. Free or paid, a public administration should have entrusted the 'ungrateful' task of maintaining relations with the press either to a municipal employee, with specific professional skills, or to announce a manifestation of public interest if the figure is not present in the staff. This applies to politicians but even more so to extraordinary commissions, which should be the symbol of respect for the rules in a municipality dissolved due to criminal infiltration. The 'gaffe' was evident. And in the afternoon, the triad in a joint note sent the press a 'clarification' statement: "In order to rationalize the delicate communication activities with the media and in particular those pertaining to the activities of the Institution and the Extraordinary Commission, the assessments regarding the public interest to be protected in the exercise of the communication activity are the exclusive responsibility of the Commission itself - the note reads -. It is added that the structure of this Institution does not include a press office or the figure of a press officer. To manage relations with the press, the Commission uses the ceremonial and communication service. With regard to Dr. Carmen Davide, it is specified that she is, and remains, employed only at the municipal library for the performance of the civil service. The commission has made use of the same, for today only, for the purpose of acquiring information of an IT nature for the establishment of a page with which the commission intends to communicate to the citizens the salient points of its activity and the material acquisition, at the end of the press conference held today, of the email addresses and telephone numbers of the participants in the same".
Luckily, it only took a few hours for common sense to prevail.
Rosaria Federico
EDITORIAL TEAM
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