College media in Italy: cross media culture? (Thematic stream “Cross Media Publishing”)

Abstract: The phenomenon of college radio in Italy had a strong evolution in the last six years and now is in turmoil, thanks to networking and shared projects. In the era of citizen journalism, college radios play a key role in redesigning languages and ways of doing journalism and communication. College radio bears some typical signs of pirates radios – which represent a youth sub culture 30-40 years ago – such as freedom of expression and ‘simplicity’ technical resources but they differ mainly the lack of political push and pure challenge. Represent and give voice, in fact, reference to a specific community such as academic and student and promote values such as knowledge and culture. College media are now a special place where new kind of journalists can grow and become MoJo, mobile and multimedia journalist (“Rainsing your Mojo”, College Media Review, Spring-Summer 2010, Vol. 47). Represent and give voice and face, in fact, reference to a specific community such as academic and student and promote values such as knowledge and culture.

In Italy in 2006 some actors decided to join together and give life to a cultural association, RadUni, which collects all activities and, expecially, professionals, teachers and students related to college radio and media. After this challenge, that continues also today, in 2008 some professionals created a new project: Ustation – www.ustation.it – first Italian college media network born with an italian venture capital investment. Ustation primary objective is to enhance contents made in the Universities, supporting development through a single portal that aggregates web 2.0 media content assets. The platform hosts a live section with all the University broadcast stations and offers each user to open their profile and share audio, video, photos, create a blog, build friendships and interacting with those who are part of the community. In this site you can find all college radio and come tv projects but there are a lot of multimedia products made by young producers who give life to a big creative community.

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Tiziana Cavallo, 35, journalist, expert in media education and new media languages. Author of “Radio Education” on the case history of FuoriAulaNetwork – University of Verona college web radio. Collaborator of Communication Laboratory of Faculty of Humanities – University of Verona and is one of Ustation.it, first university media network, founders. Now she is a PhD student in corporate communication at IULM University of Milan.