Farewell to Carlo Gambalonga, 50 years of journalism between history, sport and humanity
He was a pillar of Ansa, of which he became deputy editor. He had become a consultant for the editorial products of Il Sole 24 Ore
2' min read
2' min read
Italian journalism today lost one of its most authentic and passionate voices. Carlo Gambalonga, the historic journalist of Ansa, a storyteller of Italy and the world, has passed away at the age of 74. He was able to cross five decades of reporting with the same rigour of the thoroughbred reporter and the same enthusiasm of the boy at the first beat.
From sport to history
.It was 1974 when Gambalonga, in his early twenties, took his first steps as a sports journalist. The Olympics, the World Cup and an interview with a young Diego Armando Maradona marked his beginnings. Then the transition to news reporting was natural: with his 'pockets full of tokens' and the news dictated by improvised telephone booths, he was a direct witness to events that made the history of our country. The Moro kidnapping, three Popes, Albania at war, the earthquakes in Irpinia and Friuli, the Sarno landslide: his voice came first, often with that ready witticism that always preceded the handshake.
A lifetime at Ansa
.From 1976 Gambalonga was an integral part of Ansa, Italy's largest news agency, which became his second home. From coordinator of the regional offices to deputy director for over ten years - with Magnaschi, Gramaglia and Contu - he was the creator of a new editorial vision, contributing to the launch of specialised products, the expansion of the Ansamed news bulletin and constant dialogue with institutions, both Italian and foreign.
One of the highlights of his career was the exclusive interview with Hillary Clinton at the Santa Caterina Hotel in Amalfi during the G7 in Naples. But Gambalonga knew how to combine the high and the low, reporting as much on foreign policy as on the daily beat of the Mezzogiorno, health, tourism and the territory.
One award after another
.A national and international award-winner - Axel Munthe Award (1989), Premio Ischia (2007), Salerno Prize for International Information (2009), to name but a few - he considered journalism to be an instrument of culture, service and connection. He was also vice-president of the Ischia International Prize for Journalism Foundation, a role he performed with the same spirit of those who want to enhance talent and protect ethics. Alongside his journalistic activities, he published essays and novels ranging from the Mediterranean to scientific popularisation. Among the titles: 'I ragazzi di Tirana', 'Il signore delle nascite', 'Cinema fermo posta' (Diego Fabbri prize), and 'Casa ANSA - da 70 anni il diario d'Italia'. He has also trained entire generations of aspiring reporters in the masters of journalism at Suor Orsola Benincasa and San Marino.
