Towards a `Videocracy'?

Abstract

The victory of media mogul Silvio Berlusconi in the 1994 Italian elections, epitomizes the dramatic changes in the political arena and in the country's form of political communication. This article analyses the social, political and media factors that shaped the transition from the `First Republic' of the old party establishment, which was overthrown as a result of judicial enquiries, to the `Second Republic' of the new political subjects, and discusses the complex reasons that brought Berlusconi to power. The article takes as its starting point the electoral campaign of 1994. It describes in detail the changes and explains why they represent a turning point in Italian political communication. Finally, it attempts to interpret the `Berlusconi phenomenon' and discusses its alleged danger for Italian democracy.