Culture of Hate

In The Extreme Right and Its Media in Italy, Cinzia Padovani looks at the communication strategies of Italy’s fascist movement in promoting violent xenophobia among Italian youth. As hatred and political crimes have intensified in recent years, attacks perpetrated by fascist youth groups against immigrants, Roma and homosexuals point to a need to understand and monitor, “an ideology that vindicates the homeland assaulted by people of all races”.

Fascists now occupy positions of power inside the newsrooms and on the boards of directors of the Italian cultural industry. Using the Internet to mobilize street actions by violent youth at public events, the fascist ideology has become a powerful source for identity-building and social connection.

In the words of Padovani, “Its presence in the social fabric has become normalized.”