The Media in Italy

Front Cover
McGraw-Hill Education (UK), Dec 16, 2007 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 192 pages
The Italian media - the press, cinema, radio and television - is one of the largest and most controversial media industries in mainland Europe. In this introductory text Matthew Hibberd explores the key historical processes and events in the growth and development of Italy's main media and considers it in the context of the economic, political, socio-cultural and technological movements that have affected Italy.

Featuring a timeline of key Italian events, the book begins with the Unification - or Risorgimento - of Italy in 1861, and charts the rise of Italy from a fragmented and rural-based society through to a leading industrialised and urbanised world power. It details Fascism's reliance on the exploitation of the mass media, analyses Italy's remarkable post-war recovery, the development of democratic institutions and the contribution that a pluralistic media has made to this. Finally, it examines Silvio Berlusconi's rise to high political office and questions whether the involvement of Italy's leading media mogul in politics has harmed Italy's international reputation.

The Media in Italy addresses key themes that show how the Italian state and Italian media operate, such as:

  • How governing parties and individuals have been able to assert influence over media intuitions
  • Why there is a close relationship between political elites and media professionals
  • The lack of consensus over key media reforms
  • The importance of the Catholic Church in the development of the Italian media
  • How a unique Italian media system has been shaped by issues of citizenship, democracy and nation-state
The Media in Italy is key reading for students on media, journalism, politics, and modern language courses.
 

Contents

Introduction
1
1 The media and the Unification of Italy
13
2 The liberal years 18611922
23
3 The media in fascist Italy
33
cinema and the press in the postwar years
43
Broadcasting and Mamma RAI
65
6 Broadcasting and the wild west years
75
cinema and The Press since 1992
91
Italian media in the new millennium
123
10 Conclusion
133
Timeline of political events in Italy 18612007
139
Notes
149
Bibliography
159
Index
173
Back cover
183
Copyright

8 Silvio Berlusconi
101

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About the author (2007)

Matthew Hibberd is Senior Lecturer in Media Studies and Director of the MSc in Public Relations Online at Stirling University, UK. He is also Visiting Professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.

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