The recognition that identity is mutable multi-layered and subject to multiple modes of
construction and de-construction has contributed to problematizing the issues associated with
its representation in discourse which has recently been attracting increasing attention in
different disciplinary areas. Identity representation is the main focus of this volume which
analyses instances of multimedia and multimodal communication to the public at large for
commercial informative political or cultural purposes. In particular it examines the impact
of the increasingly sophisticated forms of expression made available by the evolution of
communication technologies especially in computer-mediated or web-based settings but also in
more traditional media (press cinema TV). The basic assumption shared by all contributors is
that communication is the locus where identities either collective social or individual are
deliberately constructed and negotiated. In their variety of topics and approaches the studies
collected in this volume testify to the criticality of representing personal professional and
organizational identities through the new media as their ability to reach a virtually
unlimited audience amplifies the potential political cultural and economic impact of
discursive identity constructions. They also confirm that new highly sophisticated media can
forge identities well beyond the simply iconic or textual representation generating deeply
interconnected webs of meaning capable of occupying an expanding - and adaptable - discursive
space.
