Berlusconi and the power of television

Power and media are closely linked in any ideological political system, but Italy under three-term premier Silvio Berlusconi is a case apart. A businessman-turned-politician, one of the country's wealthiest men and owner of a vast media empire, Berlusconi became Italy's longest-serving post-war prime minister through his proficient use of television. While premier, he controlled 90 % of Italy's TV broadcasting, the best-selling newsweekly, a daily newspaper, over 40 periodicals and the largest publishing company. The conflicts of interest were rampant. While it would be simplistic to say that Berlusconi won elections only because of his control of the media, he did set the agenda by selecting what was relevant and what was not. This book, based on the author's Ph.D. dissertation, examines how Berlusconi built his empire and used the media, particularly television, to achieve and retain political success in a milieu where allegations of corruption, bribery and links to the Mafia were constant features, and amid his own sexual scandals. Caricatured by the foreign press as macho, vain and gaffe-prone, the book examines how he fended off these attacks. Finally, it explores whether Berlusconi's media-driven political power is a purely Italian phenomenon or a "model" that could be replicated in other countries.