From the book crisis to a boom of cultural events, from the obsession of storytelling to the profound effects of digital culture: the new issue of ICS Magazine (published in both Italian and English) explores the complex and articulated universe of cultural communication, which increasingly represents a challenge to experts regarding content, but also and especially languages.

It opens with an exclusive interview with Umberto Eco on the role of memory and the contemporary web, from its “eternal present” to excess of information that characterises it. The “apocalyptic” Andrew Keen and “integrated” Ben Hammersley virtually reply in close confrontation regarding the digital culture that epitomises the historical dichotomy between – precisely – “apocalyptic and integrated intellectuals” coined by Eco himself fifty years ago. 

Elisabetta Sgarbi, Director of Bompiani, reflects on editorial marketing. Marco Belpoliti talks about the project doppiozero and the chapter #00fiabit, with a meeting between Calvino and Twitter. Mauro Piccoli analyses the phenomenon of cultural festivals, commencing with the exemplary case of “La Repubblica delle Idee”. Ivan Cotroneo talks about the power of storytelling and its endless aspects, from paper to videos to the web.

Some of the most authoritative voices in the world of international information, among whom Richard Gingras of Google and Wolfgang Blau of The Guardian, on the other hand analyse the on-going changes of the form of cultural communication, which is alive and daily, called journalism. And more, reflections and contributions by Michele Trimarchi, Giovanna Zaganelli, Leonardo Romei.