1. Models and Definitions
Gianpietro Mazzoleni
La comunicazione politica
Chapter 2

2. Political communication as defined by Wikipedia
Political Communication is a sub-field of political science and communication that deals with the production, dissemination […] and effects of information, both through media and interpersonally, within a political context. This includes the study of the media, the analysis of speeches by politicians and those that are trying to influence the political process, and formal and informal conversations among members of the public […]. The media acts as bridge between government and public.

3. Actors of the political communication
Political system
Institutional actors: parliament, central and local government, judiciary, head of state
Non institutional actors: parties, social movements, interest groups
Media system
TV, radio, press, books, cinema, new media
Citizenship
Single people, public opinion, electorate

4. “Pubblicistico-dialogico” model of political communication

5. Mediatized model of political communication

6. Kinds of relationship between actors 1
From politics to media
Regulation
News management
Politics as a source
From politics to citizenship
Public communication
Personal relationships
Electoral ads

7. Kinds of relationship between actors 2
From citizenship to politics
Voting
Public debate
Direct relationships
Polls and surveys
From media to politics
General information
Watchdog journalism
Partisan information
Mediatization

8. Kinds of relationship between actors 3
From media to citizenship
General information
Partisan information
Political advertising
From citizenship to media
Exit from a TV or a journal
Blog, post, citizen journalism

9. Developments of the communication research 1 Infancy
Rhetoric
Propaganda
Attitudes changes
Voting
Government-media relationships
Functional analysis
Technological improvements

10. Developments of the communication research 2 Adulthood
Electoral communication
Political information
Political rhetoric
Information, political attitudes, and political behaviors

11. Developments of the communication research 3 The European countries
Beyond “limited effects” (spiral of silence)
An holistic (vs atomistic) perspective
Mixed (positive and critic) approach
Taking a normative perspective in account
Interactions between media and politics
Longitudinal, long-trend analysis
Growing comparative research

12. The phases of the political communication 1 Since WWII to the Fifties
Preeminence of the mass parties
Citizens strongly identified with them

13. The phases of the political communication 2 From the Sixties to the Eighties
Fading away of the party identification (end of ideology)
Growing use of the TV (public and commercial)
Involvement of previously detached citizens
Professionalization of the campaigning

14. The phases of the political communication 3 Since the Nineties
Professional management of the relationship with the public opinion by the spin doctors
Infotainment as an usual practice
Populism (as pop politics)
Targeting
Random exposition to political messages

15. The phases of the political communication 4 New tendencies
Non monopolistic use of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) due to the access to the Web
Generalized use of the public and commercial TV
Changing boundaries of the citizenship