Italian daily newspaper La Stampa has launched a digital operation in the US aiming to bridge a curiosity gap between the two countries.
La Stampa USA covers Italian-related news, culture, opinion and sport among other topics for an American audience, with a focus on Italian-American communities and other links between Italy and the US.
The newsroom currently has five people based in New York, led by La Stampa USA bureau chief Valeria Robecco, and two based in Washington DC.
Maurizio Molinari, editor-in-chief of La Stampa USA and editorial director of La Stampa’s parent Sapere Aude Editori (SAE) Group, told Press Gazette these numbers are “changing fast”.
There are a further five existing staff working remotely on the project from Turin, Italy.
The 159-year-old newsbrand will also hire contributors in other US states to work remotely, with an aim to eventually “have a very large network of people writing for us from every single one of the 50 states”, said Molinari.
“I’ve been editor-in-chief for two big papers in my country, and when you have the possibility to create jobs, to open the profession to new people, new reporters, this is what I love the most,” said Molinari, who was editor-in-chief of Italian daily La Repubblica between 2020 and 2024.
Why the US?
Molinari said no major Italian publication had ever offered a website in English for the US market before and that La Stampa wants to be a space for English-speaking Italian communities across the country.
La Stampa noted that the US is Italy’s largest export market outside the EU and its second-largest export market overall.
“When American families decide which country to send their kids to study abroad, the first choice in Europe is Italy,” Molinari said.
“When they have to pick a place to travel, they come to our country. So, the reality is that I believe it was much needed to have a digital window on Italy for them in English.”
Molinari added: “Similarities bring curiosity… these two countries are so similar that people on both sides of the ocean are very curious about each other.”
La Stampa’s US-based journalists do not need to be able to speak Italian, but editors must be fluent in both languages so they can check translated copy produced by journalists in Turin.
“The most important piece in this mosaic is the American editors,” Molinari added. “It’s not only about language. You need a real American editor checking everything.”
Potential for print title linked to events success
The La Stampa USA website is free to access and the brand is also putting out content on Instagram, Facebook and X, as well as a weekly newsletter, with plans to launch a podcast.
The website includes a video segment on its page for news explainers and interviews, as well as a page of useful contacts for Italian-American residents and tourists.
The title may introduce subscriptions and a paywall once it becomes more established in the US, said Molinari. It is currently supported by online advertising including display and programmatic, with brands involved so far Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo, agricultural company BF International and Pasta Toscana.
La Stampa USA is currently working on implementing events to enable commercial opportunities in Italy and the US, with plans to hold these in 2027. The events aim to promote small and medium-sized Italian businesses in the US across sectors including healthcare, space technology and fashion.
An agreement between SAE Group and SACE, Italy’s export credit agency, is expected to support investment opportunities for Italian-American entrepreneurs interested in Italy.
Molinari said that if events like these are successful they could be supported by a print paper to “summarise the topics” discussed there, but regularly printing a paper to support the US brand would be “too expensive”.
Molinari said the La Stampa USA project had required “a lot of effort and a lot of investment”.
“The fact that these investments are there or have been found confirms to us that Italy needs this window. It was something very much needed.”
The publisher also has a partnership with the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) which will promote La Stampa USA to its network including helping connect it with contributors and students for a planned future training school.
French daily Le Monde similarly launched an English-language digital edition in 2022, targeting readers in the US, UK and other English-speaking markets.
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