Digitalizing Traditional Newsstands: Utopia or Possibility?

The article explores the potential digital transformation of traditional Italian newsstands (edicole) into hi-tech kiosks, prompted by the closure of a newsstand in Piazza Epiro, Rome, after the March 2020 lockdown. The author, an archaeologist from Syria, reflects on the cultural role of newsstands as hubs for conversation and information, especially in authoritarian contexts. Web marketing expert Matteo Monari, former CEO of BizUp (Alkemy group), argues that the pandemic highlighted newsstands' essential role, but the shift to digital, free news has reduced print sales to historic lows. The proposal involves manufacturing new kiosks with solar panels and internet-connected screens for projecting news headlines, public service announcements, or local advertising. Municipalities could use these screens for citizen communication, while newsstands could sell advertising space or display curated content. Touchscreens could provide interactive services: local news, public transport updates, free Wi-Fi for youth, and tourist information. Newsstands could generate revenue from both print sales and digital services. Monari suggests that a network of connected kiosks could help bridge Italy's digital divide by offering multi-sector services (anagrafic, banking, insurance, payments, tickets) to older, less-connected populations. The article concludes that just as museums and galleries are digitizing, so too can newsstands.