London, GB | Formerly of New York, Buenos Aires, Fife, and the Western Cape. | Saoránach d’Éirinn.

Italy inspired by Wall Street

Il Foglio is one of the most interesting newspapers in the world, and quite unique. It’s not a “great” newspaper like the FAZ or the Financial Times, with reporters in every major city around the globe, but this little “sheet” — usually just four or six pages — contains both a gazette of the day’s events alongside some of the best analysis and commentary in Italy. I’ve often thought that a London-based newspaper of a similar mould — not an everything-paper but instead simple, accurate, brief reporting combined with intelligent insight — could have an impact in Britain (and perhaps even America).

Its editor is the affable atheist, anti-abortion campaigner, and friend of Benedict XVI Giuliano Ferrara — an ex-Communist and former minister in Berlusconi’s first cabinet in the 90s — and it’s been said that Il Foglio comes closest to being the Italian proponent of a more Anglo-Saxon style of conservatism.

Today is Il Foglio’s eighteenth birthday, and looking back at the first edition, the design of the front page (above) obviously takes its inspiration from that of the Wall Street Journal. Things have changed since then, and while the Italian daily still clings proudly to its broadsheet format, the WSJ converted to what I call narrowsheet in 2006, as reported by us at the time.

In honour of this anniversary, Il Foglio has made available in PDF form its first ever edition (shorn of advertisements) which you can download here.

Published at 11:45 am on Thursday 30 January 2014. Categories: Errant Thoughts Newspapers Tags: , , .
Comments

Il Foglio is better described as neo-conservative. Giuliano Ferrara, who was also a CIA informant, enthusiastically supports all the wars the US government gets entangled with and is a as Zionist as an AIPAC lobbyist.

— bedwere 30 Jan 2014 3:23 pm

Alas, they have no dingbat. Andrew, perhaps you can suggest that their masthead needs one!

— Steve M 30 Jan 2014 7:58 pm

“Quite unique”. Tsk tsk!

— Kitty 16 Feb 2014 9:11 pm

Meanwhile, they are making rather unfortunate changes at the Observer.

— K. Dontoh 19 Mar 2014 4:13 pm
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