Santoro's popularity was essentially based on being the author and anchorman for TV journalism broadcasts like "Samarcanda", "Il rosso e il nero" and "Temporeale", all strongly left wing oriented, the broadcasts took place during a period of political turmoil in Italy (see Tangentopoli). These often involved debates with politicians, along with ground-breaking reports and questions from the audience. Santoro's shows were seen as places where the Italian people confronted their politicians, often perceived to be corrupt or inept. His shows have always been criticized for the leftism and lack of impartiality like in the last years with attacks against Berlusconi and other right wing Italian MPs.