Catholic news is an opportunity to serve truth and evangelization. So says the head of the Italian-language news agency ACI Stampa, which officially launched Sept. 10. “In a world where media takes a fundamental role, the birth of a new Catholic information service is a big challenge, but it is also a way of showing that the Catholic Church has a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” said Angela Ambrogetti, ACI Stampa editor. She said the Italian agency will concentrate on the activities of the Holy See and the Church in Italy and Europe. “Our task is to be unbiased and to prepare ourselves every day to serve truth,” Ambrogetti said Sept. 9. “As editor, I have the fortune to count on a team of young and very professional journalists, and this enables our small team to offer a service to evangelization, not only to information.” The news agency is available at www.acistampa.com, with a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. ACI Stampa is the latest addition for ACI Group, which includes Catholic News Agency. ACI Group is part of the EWTN Global Catholic Network. Michael Warsaw, CEO of EWTN Global Catholic Network, said the launch of ACI Stampa is “another important milestone in EWTN's service to the Church.” “I am pleased that we have been able to bring together such an exceptionally talented and experienced team led by longtime Vatican journalist Angela Ambrogetti,” he said. “Their knowledge of the Church and the workings of the Holy See, as well as their familiarity with issues of importance within Italy will enable us to fill a gap that exists today in news coverage in that region.” Warsaw said that the addition of ACI Stampa means more content for EWTN’s other news platforms. Ambrogetti said ACI Stampa’s official launch is a “reason for joy.” She cited the agency’s aim to provide accurate information about the life of the Church, the Holy See, and the Pope. The agency also aims to cover “the daily incarnation of the Gospel in actions, choices, documents and activities of the Church.” “We don't believe in 'factions' or 'parties,'” Ambrogetti continued. “The Church is one, and belongs to Christ, who is represented by the Pope.” ACI Stampa has been publishing online since February. “We are not yet six months old, and we still have to go a long way together with our 'sisters' in the family of the ACI Group and EWTN, but most of all in the bosom of the Catholic Church,” Ambrogetti said. ACI Group dates back to the 1980s. It now includes the English-language Catholic News Agency; ACI Prensa, the world’s largest Spanish-language news organization; and the Portuguese-language ACI Digital. The media group has bureaus in Rome, Washington, D.C., Denver, Peru, Brazil and Chile. There are also ACI Group correspondents in Spain and Southeast Asia. ACI Group websites receive millions of visitors each month. The media group has a strong social media presence with hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook, Twitter and other leading sites. EWTN Global Catholic Network acquired ACI Group in 2014 after several years of partnership. The network is in its 34th year. Its broadcasts are available in over 238 million households in over 140 countries and territories. Its television and radio services, its website, its publishing arm and its electronic and print news services make it the largest religious media network in the world.
