Abstract

Established in Italy in the nineties, public communication has made significant steps: it has constructed networks of knowledge, experiences and best practices and it has contributed to the creation of a "public administration" 's identity. Nevertheless, we have to consider also some critical points. Firstly, there is a certain degree of ambiguity within its publicity itself. Some time it is pursued in order to provide transpar-ency and public service, other it appears more established in favour of politicians. It is also necessary to consider that citizens have been rarely engaged by public administration. The consolidation of digital media has redefined the relationship between the two players. The author has reviewed the persepectives that the digitalization of public administration has opened to new public communication scenarios, starting from the analysis of certain current experiences in the processes of public engagement found in certain Italian municipalities.