Numero zero

Set in 1992 Milan, the narrative follows Colonna, a ghostwriter hired to help launch a pilot issue of a newspaper called Domani. The publication is financed by a media tycoon who intends to use blackmail and sensationalism to influence Italy's political inner circles. The editorial team fabricates news cycles and manipulates public perception through strategic character assassination and conspiracy theories. A central plot point involves a veteran journalist, Braggadocio, who constructs a complex revisionist history claiming Benito Mussolini survived the 1945 execution and was replaced by a body double as part of a long-term Gladio-style stay-behind operation.

Media professionals and students of political history read this work to understand the mechanics of "machine slime" and the fabrication of truth in the digital age. It appeals to those fascinated by the intersection of tabloid journalism, state secrets, and organized disinformation campaigns. The reader gains a cynical perspective on how legacy media can prioritize corporate leverage over factual reporting. It provides a toolkit for identifying common techniques used in manufacturing scandals and provides a historical context for the rise of populist communication strategies in Western democracies.