I'm no angel, Italy's PM says amid church fresco row. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Manufactured controversy / Sensationalism

Presenting a relatively minor or trivial issue as a notable controversy or row to attract attention.

Phrases such as "after a row blew up in the media" and "Some of Italy's press have been asking whether the premier served as inspiration" frame the story as a significant dispute, although the substance is a light, symbolic issue about a fresco’s resemblance. The focus on whether the cherub "bears a resemblance" to the prime minister and the repeated references to media and political reaction ("after several opposition politicians complained") can amplify the sense of conflict beyond its actual importance.

4 suggestions

Replace "after a row blew up in the media" with a more neutral description such as "after media reports and commentary" or "after some media discussion".

Clarify the scale of the issue, for example: "a minor controversy in Italian media" or "a small social-media debate" if accurate, to avoid overstating its significance.

Add context on how common such symbolic or aesthetic controversies are in Italian politics or church art, to reduce the impression that this is an unusually serious dispute.

Specify the extent of opposition reaction (e.g., "a few opposition politicians" or "some members of the opposition") if that is factually correct, instead of the broader "several opposition politicians" which can make the reaction seem larger or more representative than it is.

Unbalanced reporting (mild, structural)

Giving more space or narrative framing to one side, even if language remains mostly neutral.

The article provides detail on Meloni’s reaction (her Instagram post and the humorous quote: "No, decidedly I do not resemble an angel.") and on the culture minister’s response, but the opposition’s position is summarized only as "after several opposition politicians complained" without any direct quote or explanation of their specific concerns. This creates a slight imbalance: readers see Meloni’s and the government’s perspective in their own words, while the opposition’s stance is only briefly and vaguely characterized.

3 suggestions

Include at least one direct quote or paraphrased explanation from an opposition politician explaining why they complained (e.g., concerns about politicization of religious art, separation of church and state, etc.), if available.

Specify who in the opposition complained (party names or roles) to avoid lumping them into an undifferentiated group and to give readers clearer context.

Balance the narrative structure by giving the opposition’s reaction a sentence or two of detail comparable to the space given to Meloni’s Instagram response.