It’s very rare in Italy for foreign nationals resident in the country to break through the Italian structural set up and work in its government institutions.
The few people who can be counted and have made it into these areas includes Reggie Tagoe, ghanaweb correspondent in Italy and also a Freelance Journalist, resident in the city of Parma.
He hosts on the local television station, TV Parma, a programme in English called SEVEN DAYS on weekends.
The programme takes a look at the news in the city in brief throughout the week from Sunday to Saturday. Born in Ghana, the accomplished writer worked with Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for 8years as a Sports Commentator and Radio/TV Presenter.
He says: “It’s unfortunate how foreign nationals in Italy with talents rarely get the opportunity to accomplish their aim in their area of profession or study and therefore has to resort to doing menial jobs not in their field of study for many years on end just to earn a living. The structural system here hardly gives immigrants in the country varied possibilities as there seems to be a slammed door infront of you almost every time you make a move”, he added.
What was the idea behind the programme SEVEN DAYS? He replied: “It’s good because it offers immigrants in the city with the ability to understand English more than the Italian language the possibility to know what is going on in the city. Also the indigenous Italian students studying English at school have the possibility to listen to the news in English, this will help them to relate to other international stations in English across the world.”
Our writer also says with the city of Parma -150 kilometres from Milan- now the agricultural centre in Europe the rest of the world will know, through the website, a host of activities going on in the city.
So how did he manage to have the chance to host a TV News in Parma which is uncommon more so as an African? He begins: “ I saw the programme a number of times being hosted alternatively by two white ladies during weekends and was confident I could do it also, so one day I walked into TV Parma office telling them I have seen the programme SEVEN DAYS and interested to be part of it. They were very cooperative and took me to see the Director, Andrea Gavazzoli, and after some minutes of discussions showing him some of my written stories as a journalist he became some how convinced and asked me to come one Saturday to use the scripts of an already recorded programme to record the same programme.
He told me he would be away to Rome and will see my recorded programme on his return. I believe he had some doubt as an African capable of doing such a program. When I walked into his office the following week after recording the programme he was all smiles saying he saw the programme I did and was very much impressed, turning to the other staffs they all nodded their approval that they have seen it. Since July last year I have been part of the team.” The other two hosts are Natasha Huff - from England- and Arna Persad - a Canadian – both English teachers resident in Parma.
Reggie Tagoe adds: “We host the programme in turn and there is a cordial relation despite the fact they were doing the programme before I joined in, we cover up for one another in case of any difficulty. I have no problem with being in the studio with cameras around, the difficulty for us all is being given a whole bunch of the local news in Italian language and you are expected to translate and edit it as short as possible in English. Aside of that the staffs – cameramen, technicians and their TV News team - have been nice towards me.”
Reggie further indicated he is aiming at talking to the authorities of the two Radio/TV stations in the city to have a Radio or TV programme in English called, ‘LET’S SPEAK ENGLISH’ or ‘Parliamo Inglese’. He said considering the fact that English is rarely spoken in Italy the programme which would be virtually in English with music will offer listeners or viewers the chance to call in and have a simple chat in English with the host. This he explains will help Italians and foreign nationals’ children in the city learning English at school but hardly have the chance to speak with someone outside the school walls.
It’s very rare in Italy for foreign nationals resident in the country to break through the Italian structural set up and work in its government institutions.
The few people who can be counted and have made it into these areas includes Reggie Tagoe, ghanaweb correspondent in Italy and also a Freelance Journalist, resident in the city of Parma.
He hosts on the local television station, TV Parma, a programme in English called SEVEN DAYS on weekends.
The programme takes a look at the news in the city in brief throughout the week from Sunday to Saturday. Born in Ghana, the accomplished writer worked with Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for 8years as a Sports Commentator and Radio/TV Presenter.
He says: “It’s unfortunate how foreign nationals in Italy with talents rarely get the opportunity to accomplish their aim in their area of profession or study and therefore has to resort to doing menial jobs not in their field of study for many years on end just to earn a living. The structural system here hardly gives immigrants in the country varied possibilities as there seems to be a slammed door infront of you almost every time you make a move”, he added.
What was the idea behind the programme SEVEN DAYS? He replied: “It’s good because it offers immigrants in the city with the ability to understand English more than the Italian language the possibility to know what is going on in the city. Also the indigenous Italian students studying English at school have the possibility to listen to the news in English, this will help them to relate to other international stations in English across the world.”
Our writer also says with the city of Parma -150 kilometres from Milan- now the agricultural centre in Europe the rest of the world will know, through the website, a host of activities going on in the city.
So how did he manage to have the chance to host a TV News in Parma which is uncommon more so as an African? He begins: “ I saw the programme a number of times being hosted alternatively by two white ladies during weekends and was confident I could do it also, so one day I walked into TV Parma office telling them I have seen the programme SEVEN DAYS and interested to be part of it. They were very cooperative and took me to see the Director, Andrea Gavazzoli, and after some minutes of discussions showing him some of my written stories as a journalist he became some how convinced and asked me to come one Saturday to use the scripts of an already recorded programme to record the same programme.
He told me he would be away to Rome and will see my recorded programme on his return. I believe he had some doubt as an African capable of doing such a program. When I walked into his office the following week after recording the programme he was all smiles saying he saw the programme I did and was very much impressed, turning to the other staffs they all nodded their approval that they have seen it. Since July last year I have been part of the team.” The other two hosts are Natasha Huff - from England- and Arna Persad - a Canadian – both English teachers resident in Parma.
Reggie Tagoe adds: “We host the programme in turn and there is a cordial relation despite the fact they were doing the programme before I joined in, we cover up for one another in case of any difficulty. I have no problem with being in the studio with cameras around, the difficulty for us all is being given a whole bunch of the local news in Italian language and you are expected to translate and edit it as short as possible in English. Aside of that the staffs – cameramen, technicians and their TV News team - have been nice towards me.”
Reggie further indicated he is aiming at talking to the authorities of the two Radio/TV stations in the city to have a Radio or TV programme in English called, ‘LET’S SPEAK ENGLISH’ or ‘Parliamo Inglese’. He said considering the fact that English is rarely spoken in Italy the programme which would be virtually in English with music will offer listeners or viewers the chance to call in and have a simple chat in English with the host. This he explains will help Italians and foreign nationals’ children in the city learning English at school but hardly have the chance to speak with someone outside the school walls.
