Will there be room for independent journalism unfettered by the logic of the establishment? Groupings of boat show organisers and nautical media would suggest not
by Francesco Michienzi
This month, the pages we normally devote to the editorial are not enough to cover all the topics I want to tell you about. Things are happening at lightning speed. But let’s take things in order. Informa, the company that organises the Monte Carlo and Fort Lauderdale boat shows, has acquired the Boat International publishing group, the magazine that many, but perhaps not all, consider the bible of the superyacht world. In my humble opinion, for a magazine to truly deserve this reputation, it should publish objective truths.
ORGANISING A BOAT SHOW AND OWNING ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MEDIA IN THE MARKET IS CERTAINLY WORTHWHILE. BUT IS THERE STILL ROOM FOR AN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE THAT LOOKS OBJECTIVELY AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY?
We know how difficult it is to stay away from the compromises imposed by commercial policy and the dynamics of the market. This is not particularly surprising, however, as the Informa group already owned other magazines. In the logic of the establishment, there is certainly value in organising a show and owning one of the most influential media in the market. But I have to ask the following questions: Is there still room for an international magazine that looks objectively at what is happening in the nautical industry? Will journalists be able to express their opinions without being conditioned by the logic of the establishment and, above all, without prioritising the need to organise a successful boat show? We will have to wait and see. Only time will tell. I am confident that the organisers of these shows will not adopt a discriminatory policy towards the competing media of Boat International, IBI and Dockwalk. What is also certain is that the autonomous spaces outside the industrial establishment are becoming smaller and smaller. But we must not stop believing that there is a future for independent journalism. It may even be the opposite for those who do not share this logic. Free information fosters change and encourages original dynamics outside the box. It is not subject to the need to reward investors with ever higher profit margins.
THE NEAPOLITAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE HAS CONFISCATED THE ILLEGAL HUTS IN THE PORT OF MERGELLINA THAT I WROTE ABOUT IN MY EDITORIAL PUBLISHED IN JUNE
I was very pleased to read that the Neapolitan public prosecutor’s office has confiscated the illegal shacks in the port of Mergellina that were the subject of my editorial in June. I am not so naive as to think that the seizure of the huts was my doing, but I note that a reported problem is now before the curt.
On a different subject, but still related to the role of the media, I read a heated debate on Facebook about the qualities of a particular brand of inflatable boat compared to one of its competitors. The sense of brand affiliation is so strong that it completely obscures the values and technical characteristics of the two brands. You could call it bar talk, especially given the context in which it takes place. I think it reflects how technical culture, and culture in general, is becoming more and more marginalised. We must make an extra effort to talk to these yachting people. More than ever, culture and intellectual honesty must be our beacon. Still on the subject of culture, to celebrate our 30th anniversary we launched a competition for young designers dedicated to the architect Paola Galeazzi. We presented the awards at the ADI Design Museum in Milan, the epicentre of international design. I will tell you about it in future issues.
(Independent journalism – Barchemagazine.com – August 2024)
