JOURNALISTS from Italy

Top 7

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Italian Journalists of all time. This list of famous Italian Journalists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.

1. Gianni Rodari (1920 - 1980)

With an HPI of 73.36, Gianni Rodari is the most famous Italian Journalist.  His biography has been translated into 52 different languages on wikipedia.

Giovanni Francesco "Gianni" Rodari (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒanni roˈdaːri]; 23 October 1920 – 14 April 1980) was an Italian writer and journalist, most famous for his works of children's literature, notably Il romanzo di Cipollino. For his lasting contribution as a children's author, he received the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1970. He is considered as Italy's most important 20th-century children's author and his books have been translated into many languages, though few have been published in English.

2. Oriana Fallaci (1929 - 2006)

With an HPI of 72.05, Oriana Fallaci is the 2nd most famous Italian Journalist.  Her biography has been translated into 62 different languages.

Oriana Fallaci (Italian: [oˈrjaːna falˈlaːtʃi]; 29 June 1929 – 15 September 2006) was an Italian journalist and author. A member of the Italian resistance movement during World War II, she had a long and successful journalistic career. Fallaci became famous worldwide for her coverage of war and revolution, and her "long, aggressive and revealing interviews" with many world leaders during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Fallaci's book Interview with History contains interviews with Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, Yasser Arafat, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Willy Brandt, Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Ruhollah Khomeini, Henry Kissinger, South Vietnamese president Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, and North Vietnamese general Võ Nguyên Giáp during the Vietnam War. The interview with Kissinger was published in The New Republic, with Kissinger describing himself as "the cowboy who leads the wagon train by riding ahead alone on his horse." Kissinger later wrote that it was "the single most disastrous conversation I have ever had with any member of the press". Fallaci also interviewed Deng Xiaoping, Andreas Papandreou, Ayatollah Khomeini, Haile Selassie, Lech Wałęsa, Muammar Gaddafi, Mário Soares, George Habash, and Alfred Hitchcock, among others. After retirement, she returned to the spotlight after writing a series of controversial articles and books critical of Islam that aroused condemnation for Islamophobia as well as popular support.

3. Letizia Battaglia (1935 - 2022)

With an HPI of 60.85, Letizia Battaglia is the 3rd most famous Italian Journalist.  Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Letizia Battaglia (Italian pronunciation: [leˈtittsja batˈtaʎʎa]; 5 March 1935 – 13 April 2022) was an Italian photographer and photojournalist. Although her photos document a wide spectrum of Sicilian life, she is best known for her work on the Mafia. A documentary film based on her life, Shooting the Mafia, was released in 2019.

4. Maurizio Costanzo (1938 - 2023)

With an HPI of 56.19, Maurizio Costanzo is the 4th most famous Italian Journalist.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Maurizio Costanzo (28 August 1938 – 24 February 2023) was an Italian television host, journalist, screenwriter, and film director.

5. Fabrizio Romano (b. 1993)

With an HPI of 53.08, Fabrizio Romano is the 5th most famous Italian Journalist.  His biography has been translated into 39 different languages.

Fabrizio Romano (born 21 February 1993) is an independent Italian sports journalist and influencer. He specializes in news about football transfers and is known for using the catchphrase "Here we go!" when reporting on completed deals.

6. Bianca Maria Piccinino (1924 - 2025)

With an HPI of 52.33, Bianca Maria Piccinino is the 6th most famous Italian Journalist.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Bianca Maria Piccinino (29 January 1924 – 20 July 2025) was an Italian journalist and television hostess. She was the first woman to conduct an Italian newscast, the 5:00 pm newscast.

7. Rosanna Marani (b. 1946)

With an HPI of 48.90, Rosanna Marani is the 7th most famous Italian Journalist.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Rosanna Marani (born 12 October 1946) is an Italian journalist and television host.