The media between market and politics

The Italian media has traditionally suffered from a lack of autonomy from politics. This lack of autonomy has historical roots. Owners of print and (later) broadcast media have found it difficult to profit, and have thus pursued political goals instead. This has consequences for the types of journalists recruited. The public broadcaster Rai has thus found it difficult to resist pressure from politicians, pressure which predates Berlusconi's entry into politics, but which has been accentuated because of it. The issue of the independence of Rai and the duopoly in the television market thus remain substantial and unresolved issues for the Italian media.