AND a traditional date, almost obliged, for newspapers and television networks, to report at the end of the year on the main events of the 12 months that have just passed. The “Gazzetta” has always done this, with great appreciation from its readers; AdnKronos, a prestigious news agency founded by Giuseppe Marra which has six decades of activity which has gradually given it growing prestige, has been doing it in an encyclopedic way for 33 years now.
“The Book of Facts 2023” (11.88 euros, available through e-commerce) is a “monumental” treasure chest of characters and events, indispensable for professionals, also useful for students of all ages, professionals, enthusiasts of contemporary news and history who want to get hold of of an all-encompassing, easy-to-consult tool, enriched with photographs and profiles of the main protagonists of national and world politics, economics, customs and sport.
A year under the microscope condensed into about a thousand pages, opened by the preface of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (“Birth and family: absolute priority and socially recognized value”) and gradually enriched by the contribution of 14 protagonists of politics, economics and civil society on disparate areas.
The ten events of the year in Italy and the ten main events in the world open the sections. The order of relevance established in the “premise” leaves room for chronological becoming. The first “building block” of 2023 is represented by the re-election of Sergio Mattarella to the Quirinale, therefore the passing of the guard at Palazzo Chigi following the political elections of autumn 2022, the new architecture of the Chamber and Senate, the long wave of Covid, the explosion of the migrant emergency, events linked to sport and entertainment.
In the world there is a forced “openness” on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict (the book was prepared, and therefore sent to press, while the war between Hamas and Israel was exploding, so we will find traces of it in the next edition; as well as of the Italian success in the Davis Cup tennis and the rise of Jannik Sinner); therefore the elections in the main countries of the globe, the great figures of the planet – but also Italians – who passed away, with a place of honor for Queen Elizabeth II.
The AdnKronos almanac – because that is what it is – is closely anchored to a global society in progress. So, beyond the obvious sections on economy, work, transport, industry and trade, it is possible to browse detailed analyzes – accompanied by numbers – on national and international demography, geographical curiosities, the world of the internet and communications, a broad focus on human rights, security and justice. It goes without saying that the news absorbs a good part of the compendium: in this context it space dedicated to natural disasters recorded in Italy they found the space they deserved.
But the book published by AdnKronos it also tells the story of the year through photographs of its protagonists: the great actors of the world and those who, however, disappeared within the twelve months. From politics to entertainment and even sport, the “memory” that becomes synthesis is complete, exhaustive. In short, a precious tool, also unique in the national panorama.
And it is worth remembering that, 60 years after its birth, AdnKronos has also given itself a limited edition celebratory publication of the work carried out so far. The “Adnkronos Book 1963-2023 It has been news for 60 years” is only partly dedicated to the history of the newspaper founded by Giuseppe Marra, because the dominant theme is the look to the futureeven from those who experienced that story first hand.
Introduced by a message from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, it is clear both the recognition of the authoritativeness and credibility of AdnKronos, of its role in the evolution of national information, as well as of its current ability to innovate, despite having already known tell the story of the country. And the story passes through the main stages of growth of the news agency: 1968-1999 defined as the era of revolutions in which also stands out – in 1988 – the great IT turning point and the entry of the first terminals into the editorial offices as well as the birth in 1991 of the first “Book of Facts”. The last two decades are remembered under some specific keys such as that of fake news, and the rapid development of technology with the most recent challenges such as that of artificial intelligence. All observed by those who made the history of AdnKronos and those who saw it up close.
«The many messages that have reached us from institutions and protagonists in the world of publishing, journalism and politics recognize that AdnKronos plays an essential role in information – comments Giuseppe Marra, president of the Group AdnKronos – and we are proud of this, but at the same time we also feel the responsibility of always having to do something new. From the careful reading of the contributions we have published, valuable suggestions emerge that push us to go further in innovation, above all trying to exploit technology to identify ever-changing ways of providing information, guaranteeing authoritativeness and truthfulness”. The journey continues.