Lando Ferretti

After studying law and letters at the University of Pisa Ferretti became a journalist, interrupting his career for army service in the First World War.

[1] He held a number of positions afterwards, notably head of the journalists' syndicate, which he dominated along with Giorgio Pini and Telesio Interlandi, a deputy from 1924 to 1940, a member of the Grand Fascist Council and an officer in the Blackshirts.

[1] Ferretti particularly focused on the regional press, which had often been ignored by central government, and forced it to adhere to a Professional code of conduct that he established to ensure a pro-fascist outlook.

[5] Ferretti's reforms even covered the reporting of crime, financial incompetence or the failure of businesses and banks, all of which were severely restricted due to fears that they might reflect badly on the government, which consistently claimed Italy was only progressing in both economic and social terms.

[7] He was particularly influential in the growth of rugby union in Italy, lauding the game in the pages of the Corriere della Sera for its "extreme virile physical effort".