«Pubblicare e propagare» Il potere dei mass media e il suo ruolo nei successi politici di Silvio Berlusconi

Abstract

In this thesis, I will demonstrate and explain the power of mass media and how its abuse can lead to political success. In the first part, I will explain the importance and function of mass media for the pluralism in society and for democracy in general. In today’s times, the freedom of the media from both economics and politics becomes increasingly challenged by ownership concentration. By owning big shares of the media landscape in the world, single conglomerates have the ability to exert great political, social and cultural influence on the audience. I will explain how methods such as the construction of reality and agenda setting can be used to have an impact of the opinion of the public.The second part will present an example of how this ability can be abused for individual goals. I will argue that the political success of Silvio Berlusconi is closely connected to his ownership of TV stations and other media in Italy. Furthermore, his close grip on the Italian media is related to the political conditions in Italy after the Second World War. As I will show, the loose organization of public and private TV during the 70s and 80s and the political tumult in the beginning of the 90s shaped the base for Berlusconi´s entry into the government.