In 1948, Sterpa founded, along with Pino Rauti and Enzo Erra, La Sfida (The Challenge), the political-cultural magazine of the youth of the Italian Social Movement.

In June 1951, Sterpa was arrested and accused of fascist apology; he was released the following month.

He began his professional career in journalism as reporter for Il Tempo, and in 1951, at the age of 25, became editor-in-chief.

He later began editor-in-chief for Il Giornale d'Italia until 1958, when he started working for Corriere della Sera.

In 1994, Sterpa is one of the first to join Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, with which he is elected once again Deputy in 2001 and Senator in 2006.