Abstract
Abstract “WokeIt. Investigating Representation, Inclusivity and Social Responsibility in Rai’s Fictional Audiovisual Productions (2015-2022)” aims to investigate critically the strategies of inclusiveness and representation of minorities in fictional audiovisual content produced by Rai Fiction and Rai Cinema, the production companies owned by Italian public service broadcaster Rai. Through the interdisciplinary analysis of policies, industrial practices, on-screen representations, and the modes of circulation and reception of Rai-produced (or co-produced) TV series and movies since 2015, the project is designed to develop a systemic framework that can critically read and analyze the level of social responsibility and actual relevance of the public service broadcaster’s industrial and narrative strategies of representation and inclusion. In other words, we ask: does Rai’s strategy constitute a meaningful and effective model of corporate social responsibility or is it another case of “-washing”? In order to develop an innovative systemic framework to analyze Rai’s diversity and inclusion strategies in fictional representation, both in films and television fiction, the project implements interdisciplinary tools, methodologies and frameworks that use necessarily diverse and all-encompassing approaches – moreover reflected by the teams’ composition and expertise. The three RUs’ work will be based on a constant dialogue among film and television studies, economics and political economy, media studies, production and industry studies, and cultural studies. The project analyses three main interconnected levels: - Production: Rai’s business strategies and policies driving its choices on diversity representation, as well as its diversity communication rhetorics. - Representation: Rai’s representation strategies, visual rhetorics and stereotypes. - Circulation and reception: the circulation patterns of Rai Fiction and Rai Cinema content from the perspective of inclusive representation agendas, as well as the common critic and audience responses to the texts. This approach seeks to interconnect the otherwise segmented research in film and television studies, moreover shedding new light on Rai’s production companies – that have otherwise been little considered in the literature. It also aims at the integration of representation practices within the economic, industrial, political and social-cultural system of Italian media, reflecting on the concrete relevance of inclusive representation strategies, thus leading to the re-examination of the role of Rai as public broadcasting service in the complex contemporary scenario.
Results achieved
The WokeIt project achieved its main objective of developing an integrated analytical framework for investigating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Italian public service audiovisual production, with a specific focus on Rai Fiction and Rai Cinema. By combining policy analysis, production studies, textual analysis, and audience research, the project generated a comprehensive understanding of how inclusion is negotiated across contemporary Italian film and television industries. A major achievement was the creation of a shared research infrastructure and methodology. The project defined a corpus of television series and films produced or co-produced by Rai since 2015 and developed a common taxonomy for analysing diversity across multiple dimensions, including gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and socio-economic background. Analytical grids and coding tools were progressively refined throughout the project, enabling the systematic mapping of representational patterns and ensuring comparability across case studies. The research produced significant findings on the relationship between institutional strategies, industrial practices, and screen representation. Through policy analysis, desk research, and qualitative interviews with screenwriters, producers, commissioners, and other media professionals, WokeIt reconstructed how public service obligations, corporate strategies, and diversity policies influence audiovisual production. The project also analysed a large corpus of Rai productions, identifying recurring patterns, innovations, and tensions in the representation of diverse identities. By connecting textual analysis with industrial and institutional contexts, the research moved beyond isolated case studies and developed a systemic interpretation of inclusion in Italian audiovisual media. Audience and reception research constituted a further key outcome. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, the project collected original data on viewers’ perceptions of diversity, character identification, and inclusive narratives. The integration of production, representation, and reception perspectives allowed the project to develop a multi-layered understanding of the circulation and social impact of inclusive media narratives. One of the most innovative outputs is the online exhibition Woke Screens. Diversity and Representation in Rai Fiction and Cinema (https://www.wokeit.it/en/). Conceived as a structured research output rather than a simple dissemination tool, the exhibition translates academic findings into an accessible and interactive format through analytical data sheets, thematic pathways, multimedia materials, and a downloadable catalogue with ISBN. It represents a significant contribution to public engagement and knowledge transfer. The project also achieved substantial dissemination and networking results. Researchers presented findings at numerous national and international conferences, workshops, and seminars. Three major project events marked the development of the research: two thematic workshops organised by the partner institutions and the final international conference Diversità, equità e inclusione nei media audiovisivi italiani (Università di Bologna, October 2025), which brought together scholars, media professionals, and cultural stakeholders to discuss contemporary challenges of diversity and inclusion in audiovisual media. The scientific impact of the project is demonstrated by a substantial publication output, including articles published, accepted, or under review in leading journals such as Imago, Mediascapes Journal, gender/sexuality/italy, and Connessioni Remote, as well as book chapters and conference proceedings. A major outcome is the forthcoming open-access collective volume Reframing Inclusion. Policies, Institutions, and the Representation of Diversity in Contemporary Italian Media, which will provide a comprehensive synthesis of the project’s findings and establish a long-term reference for research on inclusion in Italian media. Beyond research outputs, WokeIt developed a strong educational, public engagement, and internationalisation dimension. Media professionals were involved in university teaching activities at the University of Bologna, allowing students to engage directly with industry practitioners and fostering dialogue between academia and the audiovisual sector. The project also promoted media literacy and public engagement through initiatives aimed at younger audiences, including the PCTO programme What is a Serial Narrative? Let’s Learn to Build Inclusive Stories and the initiative Comunità seriali, involving high-school students in the Basilicata region. International dissemination included seminars and invited lectures at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (Argentina) and Dickinson College (Pennsylvania, USA), where project findings were presented to American college students. Overall, WokeIt established itself as a national and international reference point for the study of diversity, inclusion, and public service media. By integrating policy analysis, production studies, representation research, and audience investigation, the project generated original empirical evidence, innovative public-facing outputs, significant scholarly publications, and durable research networks that will continue to support future research and public debate in this field. More information on the project can be found here: https://www.narrativecosystems.org/wp/wokeit-2022/Project details
Unibo Team Leader: Paola Brembilla
Unibo involved Department/s:
Dipartimento delle Arti
Coordinator:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna(Italy)
Total Eu Contribution: Euro (EUR) 221.877,00
Total Unibo Contribution: Euro (EUR) 104.237,00
Project Duration in months: 27
Start Date:
30/11/2023
End Date:
28/02/2026
