L’inciviltà politica “nell’occhio” del giornalista: percezioni, attori responsabili e pratiche d’uso

Political incivility “in the eye” of the journalist: perceptions, responsible actors and usage practices. Political incivility in public debate is an increasingly important and studied phenomenon, yet the role of media professionals in its spread is understudied. This research explores Italian journalists’ perceptions, their use of incivility and their views on who drives its spread. Semistructured interviews with 32 journalists reveal that their view of political incivility aligns with existing literature and they see it as strategically used by politicians and media to capture attention. Uncivil discourse, involving rudeness, delegitimization, and attacks on democratic values, is seen as a tool to attract public interest and profit. The study highlights five main approaches to political incivility: interpretive framing, amplification, contextualization, fueling, and avoidance. These practices are transversal, yet they represent two contrasting journalism models: one side fuels incivility, especially among partisan journalists, while the other provides context, typical of nonpartisan journalists.