IL FANTASMA DELLA REALTÀ: PROSPETTIVE REALISTE E IDEALISTE NELL'ANALISI DEI MASS MEDIA

All mass communication theories are based on explicit or implicit assumptions about the links between media and «reality». This essay distinguishes «realistic» from «idealistic» theories. Realistic theories regard mass media as derivate and secondary, less real than «real» life worlds and social relations they reflect. On the contrary, idealistic theories assert that media actively build our cognitive world; they interpret and transform reality in the process of transmitting news and entertainment to the audience. Moreover, idealistic theories correspond to a media-saturated society and reflect recent acquisitions of sociology of knowledge, sociolinguistic and semiotics. Nevertheless, a realistic foundation is required to prevent them from falling into relativism and skepticism. Mass communication theories cannot leave out people's «sense of reality», the attitudes of different interpretative communities, the request of credibility and responsibility that the audience addresses to news media.