Institutional public communication: function, models and professions in evolutionAn analysis of the Italian context

The article begins with a definition of public communication as “institutional public communication”. It’s a definition that reaffirm this specific disciplinary and professional communication field in a context characterized by the intensive digitalization and a hybrid and convergent media ecosystem. Considering the principal contributions present in the national and international literature of the last 30 years, the article presents the evolutionary stages of institutional public communication in Italy with references to the prevailing communication models in each one. The conclusions discuss the new challenges and professional prospects which are at the heart of the debate on the Italian future of public sector communication, but which could be extended to other national contexts.