“Ultima Bozza” Wins the National Journalism Award in Memory of David Sassoli. The award for the online press category in the third edition goes to journalist Riccardo Liguori’s article“La scommessa di Castel del Giudice” (The Castel del GiudiceGamble), published on April 30, 2026, which focuses on the transformation of a small village in Upper Molise through regeneration projects supported in part by PNRR funds.
The Sassoli Prize is sponsored by Galciana Sviluppo and originated in the Prato area, to which David Sassoli had strong ties due to his family roots. A journalist and President of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2022, Sassoli passed away on January 11, 2022. In Galciana, where his mother, Rosanna Ghelardi, was born, he spent part of his childhood and adolescence and continued to return there over the years. It is also from this personal connection to the area that the award dedicated to him takes shape.
The Relationship Between Europe and the Regions
The third edition is dedicated to the theme “Europe and the Regions,” a relationship that the award identifies as one of the central aspects of Sassoli’s professional and public career. The competition is open to journalists under 40 and accepts entries published or broadcast in the categories of Print Media and News Agencies, Online Media, and Radio and TV.
It is within this context that the jury selected “La scommessa di Castel del Giudice.” The article tells the story of a town with about 300 residents that has used public resources and local initiatives to address some of the typical problems facing inland areas: depopulation, services, employment, and land management.
The report explores a variety of initiatives, from organic apple orchards to the Community Apiary, from forest restoration to housing and employment projects, all the way to initiatives funded by the PNRR’s “Borghi” call for proposals. The European dimension thus enters the narrative through a local story, examined through the lens of the effects that public investments and policies can have on a small community.
Other Awards
In addition to the award for online journalism, the Sassoli Prize presented other honors. The Grand Prize went to Dario Artale for his report “Realpolitik” on Rete4-Mediaset, produced with Marta Eleonora Rigoni and Giulia Dedionigi, on the story of the so-called “sniper tourists” who, during the Siege of Sarajevo, paid to shoot at civilians. And the award in the Print Media and News Agencies category went to Gianluca Carini for an article published by Avvenire on the relationship between Serbia, Kosovo, and the European Union.
The jury also awarded several special mentions, including one to Michela Iaccarino for an article published in *Famiglia Cristiana* about the museum in Sarajevo dedicated to children and war.
The awards ceremony will be held on October 10 in Galciana, at the Circolo Renzo Degl’Innocenti. The award is sponsored by, among others, the European Parliament, the Region of Tuscany, the Province and City of Prato, and the National and Tuscan Orders of Journalists.
