Michele Sorice
“Massimo Baldini” CMCS - Centre for Media and Communication Studies,
University Luiss of Rome
THE PUBLIC SERVICE OFFER IN ITALY
What is the configuration of the public service offer in Italy? There are two possible ways to answer this question.
The first is to identify and catalogue all the programmes that are present in daily programming schedules and to classify those that adequately fulfil the criteria of the "public service". But this presents us with a problem that is not easily solved, for indeed, what are the criteria that can truly define the offer of the public service today? Actually the problem is irresolvable, since we no longer have a certain definition for the public service, also in view of the debate between services of general interest, the universal service and so on.
The second way to answer our initial question practically coincides with the analysis of the foundations, characteristics and trends of the "public service media" that we had begun to outline in the first report of the Group of Turin. In other words, analyzing the Italian situation today is not possible without considering the complete spectrum of the media offer. Focusing on television – although it is still a central element in the media consumption of Italians – is no longer sufficient, and it would be even more dangerous to focus merely on the role – albeit indispensable – of Rai.
It thus becomes necessary to try to identify the characteristics of the Italian system of communication. At the same time we will try to analyze the constraints that are still exercised upon the freedom of access to the network, which is a particularly serious issue. A lesser degree of freedom of access to information also means lower quality and less professionalism in television. In order to activate what one might call a “virtuous circle” it is necessary to abandon the mono-media perspective in favour of a broader look at the entire system of communication and its role in safeguarding pluralism and democracy.
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