State newspaper taken over Italian lake (7)
I believe the answer is:
avernus
'italian lake' is the definition.
'state newspaper taken over' is the wordplay.
'state' becomes 'aver' (I've seen this before**).
'newspaper' becomes 'sun' (I've seen this before).
'taken over' says the letters should be written backwards.
'sun' written backwards gives 'nus'.
'aver'+'nus'='AVERNUS'
(Other definitions for avernus that I've seen before include "Italian lake once thought the entrance to Hades" , "Infernal lake" , "Introduction to underworld" , "the opening is hellish" , "Site in Italy once believed the entrance to Hell" .)