Title:

From Fringe to Mainstream: The Mediatization of Contested Voices and Organisational Challenges

Abstract:
In an era of accelerated mediatization, organisations face a paradoxical communication landscape where visibility, legitimacy, and influence are increasingly shaped by algorithmic amplification and platform logics. This keynote explores how strategic communication navigates the blurred boundaries between the mainstream and the fringe, analysing the organisational challenges posed by digital activism, influencer-driven advocacy, and the rise of alternative media ecosystems. While platforms offer new opportunities for engagement and reputation-building (the Good), they also expose organisations to risks such as misinformation, polarisation, and trust erosion (the Bad). At its most extreme (the Ugly), the entanglement of corporate, political, and fringe communication strategies can foster disinformation loops, radicalisation, and reputational crises. Drawing on cases from the fringe democracy project, this talk will examine how organisations adapt to contested publics, manage crisis narratives, and negotiate legitimacy in a hybrid media system where authority is constantly challenged.

Giovanni Boccia Artieri

Giovanni Boccia Artieri (Ph.D.) is Full Professor of Sociology of Communication and Digital Media at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo (Italy), where he serves as Vice Rector for Teaching, Internal and External Communication. He directs the LaRiCA Center (Research Laboratory on Artificial Communication).

His main research interests revolve around media theory, with a focus on social media and participatory culture. Current research projects include mediatization processes; fringe platforms; online hate speech studies; media manipulation and disinformation.

He has published articles in national and international journals such as Information, Communication & Society, Current Sociology, International Journal of Communication, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, Media and Communication, and Social Media + Society. In 2020, he was appointed a member of the Academia Europaea and works within the Film, Media and Visual Studies section.