The Subject of Food in Media Products: from Television to Online Celebrities (and Back)

The media talk about food. Though it was also spoken about in the past, it is only recently that the topic has assumed true media star status, a multifaceted 'super' genre populated by celebrities and complete unknowns alike. At one time food programs were scheduled at hours for a female viewing audience and their function was primarily to offer culinary advice combined with a good dose of home economics. They were thus how-to type shows for homemakers working to take care of the family. They also served in part to promote food brands, using a conversational framework to integrate the product being promoted.The paper will focus mainly on how the topic of food is dealt with in two different media forms in Italy: television and the Internet . The body of work considered consists of some television programmes and several blogs dedicated to the topic. The aim is to compare the different communication strategies used, examining the differences and commonalities.