Journalist · Accredited to the Holy See Press Office

Riccardo
Benotti

He reports on the Pope and the Church for SIR, the news agency of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and studies how artificial intelligence is changing journalism.

Portrait of Riccardo Benotti
SIR
Senior editor, on staff since 2006
Books
Three monographs, three new projects
CEI Film Commission
Member since 2020, current term 2024–2029
PhD
Pontifical Salesian University, 2025

Profile

Reporting on the Church, understanding how journalism is changing

Riccardo Benotti is an Italian professional journalist and author. He has worked since 2006 at SIR, the Servizio Informazione Religiosa, where he is now a senior editor. He covers the Pope, the Holy See and the life of the Church in Italy and around the world, and is accredited to the Holy See Press Office.

He holds a degree in Social Communication, specialising in journalism, from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, where he also earned his doctorate in 2025. His research looks at communication, culture and society, with a focus on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the work of newsrooms.

He has sat on the Film Commission of the Italian Bishops’ Conference since 2020, now for the 2024–2029 term, and contributes to the Conference’s interdisciplinary study group on disability. He writes for the Messaggero di sant’Antonio and teaches courses and workshops on digital communication, editorial planning and artificial intelligence.

The Pope and the Holy See

The pontificate of Leo XIV, the Roman Curia, Vatican diplomacy, appointments and documents.

Church and religious life

Dioceses, communities, orders and congregations: church life as reported by the Italian bishops’ news agency.

Artificial intelligence and journalism

What newsrooms hand over to automated tools, and where responsibility stays with the person who signs the piece.

Books

Forthcoming
Marcianum Press · Il Crogiolo series

Il disegno di Leone XIV

Marcianum Press · with Dario Sgrulletti

Governare il patrimonio ecclesiale nell’era dell’IA

LAS · in production

Abitare la tecnica. L’intelligenza artificiale nelle redazioni cattoliche

  1. Cover of Covid-19: preti in prima linea

    Covid-19: preti in prima lineaStorie stra-ordinarie di chi ha dato la vita e di chi non si è arreso

    2021 · San Paolo

    Accounts from priests during the pandemic years, and a memorial to the Italian diocesan priests who died in that period. Introduced by Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, with a preface by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis.

    464 pagesISBN 978-88-922-2381-3Publisher’s page
  2. Cover of Viaggio nella vita religiosa

    Viaggio nella vita religiosaInterviste e incontri

    2016 · Libreria Editrice Vaticana

    Conversations with fourteen superiors general, published for the close of the Year of Consecrated Life: the charisms of the Church described by those who lead them.

    232 pagesPreface by Timothy RadcliffeISBN 978-88-209-9730-4Italian national library catalogueThe book’s blog
  3. Cover of Viaggio nel New Journalism americano

    Viaggio nel New Journalism americano

    2009 · Aracne

    A journey through the era of American narrative journalism, its authors and its techniques.

    143 pagesISBN 978-88-548-2293-1Italian national library catalogue

Writing and talks

Selected articles

Six pieces that show the range of his writing: personal narrative, commentary, media criticism and interviews. All are in Italian except the first, which SIR also published in English. His signed SIR articles are collected on his agensir.it author page.

Essays and journal contributions

A selection of book chapters and journal pieces. Peer-reviewed articles are listed under Research.

Talks and courses

A selection of conference papers, courses and training sessions.

  • 2026
    Paper · pre-recorded video

    Informed Peace: Catholic Journalism as a Heuristic Case for Human-Centred AI Governance Against Algorithmic Disinformation

    AI4Peace 2026, Rome, “AI and Democratic Institutions” session. Presented in English.

  • 2025
    Talk

    L’algoritmo e il Vangelo

    National meeting of Italian diocesan catechetical directors, “Edificati dalla comunità”, Rome. Round table with Fr Andrea Ciucci and Stefano Pasta.

  • 2025
    Teaching · online course

    Digital journalism: le sfide dei social media e dell’intelligenza artificiale

    Journalism module of the MOOC “(Post)Digitale: comunicazione, educazione ed etica”, Italian Bishops’ Conference and Cremit, Università Cattolica.

  • 2023
    Talk

    “Evoluzione digitale” course

    Fisc, the federation of Italian Catholic weeklies, with two national offices of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Rome.

  • 2023
    Testimony

    International Day of Persons with Disabilities

    Online with the Diocese of Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea: disability, vocation, community and inclusion.

  • 2022
    Teaching

    Strumenti per un piano di comunicazione

    “Trasmettere, gestire, valorizzare” course, module on promoting archival heritage. Pontifical Gregorian University, Ecclesiastical Archival Association and Italian Bishops’ Conference.

  • 2022
    Workshop

    L’ascolto come condizione della buona comunicazione. L’importanza del piano editoriale

    Twelfth workshop for culture and communication leaders, “Ascoltate! Per una comunicazione di comunità”, Diocese of Molfetta-Ruvo-Giovinazzo-Terlizzi, Molfetta.

  • 2022
    Training · online

    Limiti

    “Trova la tua facoltà” programme, “Talents, limits and experiences” session, Sophia Impresa Sociale.

  • 2020
    Talk

    Comunicare la Chiesa nel tempo dei social e della post-verità

    Meeting with the Cursillos in Christianity movement: disinformation, big data, social media and the Italian bishops’ media.

  • 2019
    Workshop

    Come realizzare un piano di comunicazione

    “La comunicazione” workshop on the opening day of “Aperti al MAB”, Italian Bishops’ Conference, Rome.

Interviews

A selection of interviews given.

On TV and video

Television appearances, book presentations and talks available on YouTube (in Italian).

Research

His doctoral thesis, defended in 2025 at the Pontifical Salesian University, examines the arrival of artificial intelligence in Italian Catholic newsrooms through Marshall McLuhan’s tetrad. The work continues in peer-reviewed articles on algorithmic discernment and journalistic authority.

Thesis
Intelligenza artificiale e giornalismo. Un’indagine sui pro e contro di una possibile implementazione di sistemi IA nelle redazioni cattoliche della Cei e della Santa Sede
Doctorate
Faculty of Social Communication Sciences, Pontifical Salesian University, Rome, defended on 17 December 2025. Supervisor: Prof. Fabio Pasqualetti. UPS thesis archive
Abstract
A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with journalists, editors and experts at Avvenire, Tv2000, SIR and Vatican News. McLuhan’s tetrad is used to read what AI enhances, makes obsolete, retrieves and reverses across the three stages of newsroom work: gathering, producing and distributing the news. The conclusions propose a model of integration that keeps human responsibility, and mediation as an act of discernment, at the centre.
ORCID
0009-0000-5747-2592

Accepted and in press

  • 2026
    Philosophia Reformata

    A Tool, Not a Voice: Artificial Intelligence, Human Speech, and Christian Communicative Agency

    Accepted, in production.

  • 2026
    Problemi dell’informazione

    Intelligenza artificiale e giornalismo. Oltre l’automazione: criteri etici e modelli alternativi di integrazione

    In production, issue 3/2026.

  • 2026
    Catechetica ed Educazione

    Il catechista davanti all’algoritmo. Il prompt come traccia di consapevolezza catechetica e la zona non delegabile della mediazione

    Accepted, awaiting publication.

Preprint

Daily column

Leone, il filo del giorno

Every day Riccardo writes a daily account of Pope Leo XIV’s news and engagements, held together by a single thread: the filo del giorno. The column is published in Italian on this site and on LinkedIn. Latest instalments:

  1. Il Papa torna alla finestra: “Ho sentito davvero il vostro sostegno”. E annuncia il ritorno graduale alle attività
  2. Il Papa lascia il Gemelli e torna in Vaticano. Domani l’Angelus dalla finestra dell’appartamento pontificio
  3. Il Papa celebra la Messa al Gemelli e ringrazia medici e infermieri. E alla FAO: “Il pane non deve mai essere usato come arma di guerra”
  4. La radiografia mostra la buona ripresa del polmone operato. Il Papa torna a lavorare e riceve il sostituto Rudelli
  5. Decorso regolare al Gemelli, il Papa ha ripreso a camminare e ha concelebrato la messa. E alle famiglie scrive: “Non mi è stato possibile essere tra voi”

Full archive (in Italian)

Contact

For talks, events and collaborations: info@riccardobenotti.it. Also on LinkedIn.

For event organisers

A short biography for introductions and programmes, and a high-resolution photograph.

Riccardo Benotti is an Italian journalist and senior editor at SIR – Servizio Informazione Religiosa, the news agency of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, where he has worked since 2006. He is accredited to the Holy See Press Office. He holds a PhD in Social Communication from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and studies how artificial intelligence is transforming journalism. His books include Covid-19: preti in prima linea (San Paolo, 2021) and Viaggio nella vita religiosa (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2016). He is a member of the Film Commission of the Italian Bishops’ Conference.

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