Why Agency Journalism Matters Most in Wartime

The founders of Italy’s Montecatini Prize for War Journalism have explained why this year’s award focused on Ukraine and Ukrinform.

Italy recently hosted the Montecatini Prize ceremony, an award recognizing outstanding Italian and international journalists covering defense, security, and military conflicts.

This year, the Ukrainian National News Agency Ukrinform became only the second member of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) to receive the Montecatini Prize for War Journalism, following Romania’s Agerpres in 2025.

Alongside Ukrinform journalist Olha Zvonaryova, the award was presented to Barbara Schiavulli, founder and editor-in-chief of the independent media and podcast platform Radio Bullets. Over the past 24 years, Schiavulli has reported from conflict zones across Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, Pakistan, Yemen, Sudan, Chile, Haiti, and Venezuela.

The prize was established by UNUCI, a non-profit and non-partisan association representing retired officers of the Italian Armed Forces. The ceremony took place in the Tuscan spa town of Montecatini Terme as part of the annual Bookfest cultural festival.

In this interview, prize winner Olha Zvonaryova speaks with the founders and organizers of the award about the selection process, the importance of agency journalism in wartime reporting, Europe’s perception of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and why Ukraine ultimately emerged at the center of the jury’s attention.

THE JOURNEY AS AN ORDEAL

Because of the war, traveling from Ukraine to Italy has become an ordeal in itself.

To attend the event, I had to cover 2,500 kilometers one way. The first leg of the journey was a bus ride to Poland that, including the border crossing, lasted nearly 29 hours. From there, I took a two-hour flight to Pisa, followed by another three hours by train to Montecatini. By the time I arrived in the Tuscan town, evening had already fallen.

There were only a few hours left to stroll through Montecatini’s quiet streets and hold several off-the-record conversations with festival organizers and participants.

Despite the demanding schedule, there was still time for a brief but substantive discussion — lasting just over half an hour — with UNUCI President and founder of the Montecatini Prize Gabriele Focosi, UNUCI Vice President Colonel Alfredo Montefusco, and jury chairman Professor Matthew Hibbert.

We discussed Europeans’ perceptions of Russia’s war against Ukraine, continued support for Kyiv, the role of news agencies in wartime reporting, and the broader significance of cultural initiatives such as Bookfest.

HISTORIC ASSOCIATION, MODERN CULTURAL PLATFORM

“First of all, it is important to explain what UNUCI is,” Gabriele Focosi begins.

“The National Union of Retired Officers of Italy is an official non-partisan association representing military personnel who served at any rank within the Armed Forces, state security institutions — including the police and the financial guard — as well as Italy’s auxiliary corps.”

UNUCI is headquartered in Rome and maintains branches throughout Italy, including Tuscany and other regions.

“This year, we are celebrating the Association’s centenary,” Focosi notes.

A lawyer by profession, he has been involved with UNUCI for nearly two decades. The idea for the Montecatini Prize also originated with him. Each year, the award honors two laureates — one Italian and one European journalist.

The prize itself is part of the broader cultural framework of Bookfest, a festival that has been running for 15 years and brings together a diverse range of cultural events.

As Focosi explains, the Montecatini Prize dedicated to journalists covering wars and international conflicts was established five years ago.

One of last year’s prize winners was Stefano Battistini, a prominent journalist with Italy’s national broadcaster RAI, who reported extensively from Ukraine and accompanied Ukrainian forces during operations on Russian territory. His reporting prompted fierce criticism from the Russian government.

Previous recipients have also included foreign journalists covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, among them Corriere della Sera reporter Marta Serafini and Romanian Agerpres war correspondent Cristian Lupașcu.

The selection process is overseen by Professor Matthew Hibbert, dean of the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society at the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano and chairman of the award jury.

“We are a small but highly prestigious university. Last year, we ranked ninth globally among small universities. Our work spans a broad range of fields — from culture and Italian studies to artificial intelligence and sustainable development,” Matthew Hibbert says proudly.

TWO STAGES OF A SINGLE PROCESS

Matthew Hibbert oversees the organization of the jury’s work. The selection process unfolds in two stages.

First, he consults a group of international experts, including former news agency professionals and journalism scholars, who nominate potential candidates. The second stage involves a separate jury, which also includes students from one of Hibbert’s university courses.

“We review the shortlist of candidates and vote. I do not choose the winner single-handedly — my role is to organize the process. I intervene only in the event of a tie,” Hibbert explains.

“This year, there were three candidates on the shortlist for the European prize, and you were among them. We also had a separate shortlist for the Italian award. We always try to include journalists connected to news agencies because we consider agency journalism critically important, especially in wartime reporting.”

THE STRONGEST CANDIDATES WERE CONNECTED TO UKRAINE

Hibbert notes that the shortlist also included journalists covering other global conflicts.

“Since this is a European prize, Ukraine was naturally very prominent this year. And the winner was quite clear,” he emphasizes.

At the same time, he stresses that the focus of the award may shift depending on developments around the world.

“When I asked experts for recommendations this year, many of the strongest candidates were connected to Ukraine. But there are many ongoing conflicts around the world, and future editions of the prize may focus on other wars or crises.”

He also underscores the independence of the selection process.

“I am in constant dialogue with Gabriele and the Association. What I genuinely value is the freedom they give me in organizing the jury’s work. They define the broader purpose of the prize, but they allow the selection process itself to remain fully independent.”

I also ask whether events such as Bookfest resonate with younger generations, noting that many members of the Association appeared to be older.

Hibbert agrees that UNUCI itself largely brings together older members, but points out that Bookfest attracts a much broader audience.

“The festival and its awards encompass many genres — fiction, history, culture, thrillers — and they also engage younger people.”

“Bookfest includes several awards. Today (May 13, ed.), in Pisa, we will present a special prize dedicated to the aerospace sector. The journalism award is another component of Bookfest, and its ceremony will take place later this afternoon. There will also be a small conference devoted to global conflicts, where invited guests will share firsthand accounts and experiences. And on May 12, in Florence, we held a similar conference focused on geopolitical challenges and the direction in which the world is heading.”

ON THE INTERCONNECTED NATURE OF CONFLICTS

Taking the opportunity, I ask whether Italy has grown weary of the war in Ukraine, especially given that politicians in some European countries occasionally voice such sentiments.

“I do not believe support for Ukraine has disappeared. Governments remain engaged. But since 2022, other conflicts have also moved into the spotlight — Israel and Palestine, Iran, as well as broader geopolitical tensions,” Matthew Hibbert says.

“Ukraine may no longer receive the same level of media attention it did during the earlier stages of the war, but that does not mean it has been forgotten. The international news agenda is often shaped by figures such as Donald Trump. If Trump focuses on Iran, media headlines will inevitably focus on Iran as well.”

At the same time, Hibbert stresses that these crises cannot be viewed in isolation.

“These conflicts are interconnected. Iran supplied weapons to Russia. China, Russia, and Iran are linked through strategic interests. Ukraine, therefore, is part of a much broader geopolitical landscape.”

THE ASSOCIATION AND GLOBAL SECURITY ISSUES

According to Hibbert, organizations such as UNUCI play an important role in sustaining public debate on global security and the role of Italy and Europe within it.

“This matters because society does not always pay close attention to these issues. Associations like ours help bring such discussions into the public discourse,” he explains.

“Recently, for example, we held discussions about NATO and about how Italy and Europe should engage with the United States in the future. This is not about Ukraine alone — it concerns all of us. These are fundamental security questions.”

In his view, many of today’s crises stem from broader strategic alignments that remain insufficiently discussed in Europe.

“The situation surrounding Iran did not emerge out of nowhere. There are strategic alliances that directly affect European and Western security. I believe we simply are not talking about this enough. One of the reasons I participate in initiatives like this is that associations such as UNUCI are reopening debates that, in reality, we have not seriously had since the Cold War.”

I then ask whether war feels close to Italy today — not only the war in Ukraine, but the broader atmosphere of global instability and conflict.

Hibbert pauses before answering.

“One could argue that war is already here — simply in another form. We are not speaking only about terrorism. We see it through fake news, disinformation campaigns, and attempts to destabilize democratic societies.”

He notes that this is particularly evident during elections, when foreign actors attempt to influence public opinion and political processes.

“It is not a physical war on Italian territory, but it is already being felt here very strongly.”

“WE ADMIRE YOUR COUNTRY, YOUR COURAGE, AND YOUR RESISTANCE”

“What would you like to say to Ukrainians?”, I ask.

“It is, above all, a message of support,” Gabriele Focosi replies. “We hope the conflict will end as soon as possible, that people will be able to return to their homes, and that dialogue and mediation will ultimately lead to a resolution of this terrible situation. We also hope that internationally recognized borders and territorial integrity will be respected in any final settlement.”

I conclude the conversation with a question for UNUCI Vice President Colonel Alfredo Montefusco, a former Air Force officer who served as both a pilot and rescue specialist and participated in numerous military operations.

Earlier, when I asked whether he missed military service, he answered without hesitation that he did — very much — because at one time he had been “an angel saving people.” That made his opinion especially meaningful to me.

“Colonel, as a former military officer, what would you say to Ukrainian soldiers?”

“We admire your country, your courage, and your resistance,” Montefusco says. “And we hope for a just peace — a solution that is fair, not imposed.”

ABOUT UNUCI

UNUCI was founded in 1926 and today operates as an organization of social and cultural significance.

Its primary mission is to uphold the prestige of retired officers, promote professional development through military, cultural, and sports initiatives, and strengthen ties between reservists and active-duty military units.

The organization officially represents Italy within international military structures, including the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) and the International Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers (CIOMR).

UNUCI is also the founder of the Premio Montecatini di Giornalismo, an international journalism award recognizing outstanding foreign reporters covering defense, security, and armed conflicts.

Olha Zvonaryova. Italy, Montecatini

Photos via Author