Lilli Gruber

Dietlinde Gruber (born April 19, 1957), known as Lilli Gruber, is an Italian politician and journalist from the province of Bolzano-Bozen. Currently she serves as Member of the European Parliament. She was elected on the Olive Tree ticket, and now sits in the Socialist Group. She serves in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

She is an alternate on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Gulf States, including Yemen.

Biography

Lilli Gruber was born in Bolzano and is an Italian and German native speaker.

She graduated in English Language and Literature at the University of Venice. In 1987 she became the first female anchor to present the TG1, Italy's television most popular television news on Raiuno. In 1988, she became international political correspondent for RAI, covering events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in the former Yugoslavia, the situation in the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the Iraqi war.

In April 2004 Gruber resigned from her position at RAI in protest against the influence on state controlled media by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. She attacked his "unresolved conflict of interest", and considered that RAI had abandoned its tradition of pluralism in order to government's views.

Gruber has also worked for the Italian daily newspaper "La Stampa", and for "Io Donna", the women's magazine of Italy's leading newspaper "Corriere della Sera", and for magazines "Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni" and "Anna".

In the European Parliament elections of 2004 she was elected to the European Parliament. She topped the Olive Tree votes in two electoral regions, and beat Silvio Berlusconi in the Central region vote.

She is expected to continue her campaign against media monopolies at European level.

Career

* since 1982: Professional journalist
* 1984 to 2004: Worked for RAI (Italian radio and television broadcasting company)
* 1999: worked with the German TV channel SWF (1988) and Pro 7 (1996) and with CBS

Education

* 1993: 'William Benton Fellowship for Broadcasting Journalists' at the University of Chicago
* 2002: 'Visiting scholar' at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University; for two years 'discussion leader' at the World Economic Forum of Davos

Awards and honours

* 1991: "Numeri UNO" Prize
* 1995: Best Female Journalist
* 1995: Carlo Schmidt Preis, awarded in Germany for distinguished service to freedom of information
* 1995: Fregene prize
* 2001: Spoleto prize
* For covering the war in Iraq, Inter Alia
* 2004: Honorary graduate of the American University of Rome

Works

* "I miei Giorni a Baghdad" ("My Days in Baghdad", 2003)
* "L'altro Islam" ("The Other Islam", 2004)
* "Chador" (2005)
* "America anno zero" ("America year zero", 2006)

ee also

* European Parliament election, 2004 (Italy)

External links

* [http://www.lilligruber.net/ Lilli Gruber's Home Page]
* [http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/LilliGruberFansClub/ Lilli Gruber's Yahoo Page]
*EP MEP info/6th term|28368|of Lilli Gruber
*Declaration of financial interests of the 6th term|28368_13-07-2004.PDF|it