There is nothing to suggest the State has any viable ability, or protocol in place, to assess and decide on the risk to the life and limb of journalists, their families and their property, or that it can take effective decisions to provide protection autonomously from anyone in power who may be inconvenienced by such protection.
There are at present 24 Italian journalists who live under armed protection. The decision to provide them with protection is taken by law enforcement agencies without reference to the government and under the oversight of an independent parliamentary commission. Journalists are assured that their escorts act independently of the people they are investigating – including political and government figures – and they are therefore also assured that their journalistic independence is not threatened by State-imposed shackles placed on them under the pretext of providing for their safety.