They pay very close attention to what is happening on the national political scene, more so than you might think. Although they are multi-channel users in the information landscape, their opinions are mainly shaped by traditional media, particularly newspapers. This is how we might summarise the prevailing behaviour of Italians when it comes to keeping up to date with political developments, just a few days before the general election. The election campaign and related initiatives inevitably prompt people to take a greater interest in what political parties have to offer, the proposals put forward by leaders and their agendas. For several weeks now, we have been immersed – and often even overwhelmed – by press releases, position statements, interviews and TV appearances. On the one hand, we have seen the candidates ready to comment on the day’s sensational events; on the other hand, they have proved far less keen to discuss the country’s long-term issues (the economy, the labour market, infrastructure and demographics). It is virtually impossible to avoid coming into contact with it. Nevertheless, the public has a strong desire to understand and make sense of the convoluted twists and turns of politics.
As shown by Community Media Research’s latest survey, more than a third of Italians (37.1%) keep themselves constantly informed about what is happening in the political arena. To this must be added the 41.9 per cent who follow the political scene more generally: to some extent, the public is listening and interested, albeit in a more detached manner. However, a total of almost four-fifths of Italian citizens (79.0 per cent) state that they are engaged in political and electoral issues. Naturally, there are some differences in political orientation: men and adults are the most attentive groups compared to young people (even though the majority of the latter follow general political developments), as are people with higher education and, in particular, those who are determined to go to the polls.
Then there is 16.0 per cent of the Italian population whose attention is more sporadic: the political debate is like background noise – not particularly captivating – which usually gets mixed up with other topics. Finally, a marginal proportion (5.0 per cent) state that they have no time to keep up to date with politics or have no interest in the subject. Therefore, Italians – albeit to varying degrees – are more attentive to political issues than is generally portrayed. However, in the age of new technological communication tools, in what way and through what means do Italians keep themselves informed? How are opinions on these issues formed? These two aspects – information and opinion – are not one and the same: whilst the former is more immediate, the latter requires time and space to take shape. The results, in fact, demonstrate the existence of varied behaviours.
First of all, there is no single dominant channel, but rather a variety of sources vying almost equally for primacy: the internet (26.5 per cent – although this figure does not include social media, which accounts for just 14.9 per cent), television (24.8 per cent) and newspapers (22.7 per cent). Italians mix and match their sources of information, demonstrating a proactive approach and refusing to favour one over another.
Secondly, if we consider the various types of sources together, we can see that, overall, traditional media (newspapers, TV, radio: 53.5 per cent) still hold the leading position over new media (the internet, social media: 41.4 per cent) as sources of political news. However, there are some significant differences: adults and those who are determined to vote are more loyal to traditional media (aged over 45); whilst young people, students, and those who are disillusioned with politics and are still undecided about how to vote tend to prefer new media (aged up to 44). Very few, however, rely on social networks (membership of organisations, family members, colleagues: 5.1 per cent) to obtain political news.
Thirdly, the outcome changes if we look at how Italians form their opinions. The previous three-way split shifts the relative importance of each factor, and a fourth factor is introduced. Newspapers take the lead (25.6 per cent), increasing their influence, followed by the internet (22.4 per cent, which has seen a slight decline) and television (18.2 per cent, also falling). On the other hand, the role of family and friends is growing (13.8 per cent), an area where there is greater scope for dialogue and discussion. Thus, overall, the traditional media have seen a slight decline in influence (49.6 per cent), yet they remain firmly the primary source of information, with newspapers at the top of the list, particularly amongst adults (aged over 45).
New media (29.3 per cent, mainly social media) are becoming less influential amongst young people, students and undecided voters, albeit to a lesser extent. Conversely, social networks are playing an increasingly significant role (21.1 per cent) in shaping opinions (primarily through family members and friends), particularly amongst younger people. Consequently, information and opinions follow complementary yet distinct paths, even across different sections of the population. There are, however, two paradoxical surprises. On the one hand, the decline in newspaper circulation – replaced by the speed at which news spreads online – does not correspond to a loss of their ability to shape public opinion. Indeed, they still hold the leading position.
Conversely, the pervasiveness of social networks as a communication tool – now regarded as a benchmark even by the media organisations themselves – actually carries an inversely proportional influence when it comes to shaping public opinion. It is rather the internet as a whole that plays an important role, which is why it is even more difficult to define.
In Italy, with the general election on 4 March fast approaching, the issue of information is becoming an increasingly pressing concern. Not only are political figures increasingly sensitive to their television appearances – which are heavily regulated to the point of absurdity – but citizens are also paying closer attention to political affairs. Information and opinions are following intertwined paths that are, at the same time, uneven. However, it is opinion that drives people’s choices: in order to flourish, opinions need opportunities to be tested and developed in interaction with others. The educational challenge of the future lies in how to foster the formation of opinion in a society saturated with information.
Methodology:
Community Media Research, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo on behalf of La Stampa, carried out a nationwide survey called Indagine LaST (Laboratory on Society and the Territory) from 9 January to 22 January, based on a sample of the entire Italian population aged 18 and over. The methodology and results were analysed by Questlab. A total of 1,482 people (out of 13,384 contacts) were surveyed. The data was rebalanced according to gender, region, age groups, employment status and education. The margin of error is approximately ±2.5 per cent. The survey was conducted online via the main social media platforms, using a random sample reached via CAWI and CATI systems. To download the full survey, please visit www.agcom.it
