1. The mediatization of politics
Gianpietro Mazzoleni
La comunicazione politica
Chapter 3

2. What is mediatization?
Centrality of the mass media in the (social and political) communication
The economic goals of the media shape the political narratives
Media as a branch of government (fourth power)

3. Mediatization defined The four dimensions of the mediatization of politics

4. The systemic effects of the mediatization
Media effects
Spectacularization
Agenda
Fractionalization
Political effects
Personalization
Leaderization
Selection of political élites

5. Media effects 1 Spectacularization
All politicians make use of media
All politicians must follow the frames of the mass communication
They have also to activate the interest of the media

6. Media effects 2 Agenda Agenda setting: citizens’ issue priority
Agenda building: governments’ issue priority

7. Media effects 3 Fractionalization
Sound bites
Packaging politics

8. Political effects 1 Personalization
Each politician is assessed as a single person rather than as a partisan leader, due to changes in communication
Popularization
Pervasiveness of the TV
End of the ideology

9. Political effects 2 Leaderization
A similar effect, named “leaderization”, is due to
Different kinds of democracy
Electoral systems
Plurality
Preferential voting
Direct election
Vanishing of the mass parties

10. Political effects 3 Selection
Candidates are increasingly selected according to their media profile
The winnowing effect occurring during the presidential primaries in the United States is an evident example

11. Mediatization and Internet
Internet and the Web 2.0 are different from classical media
We could talk of an end of the mediatization due to the direct relationship now practicable between politicians and citizens (disintermediation)
Alternatively we could talk about a new form of extended mediatization including old media and Internet