“Media populism means appealing to people directly through media. A politician who can master the media can shape political affairs outside of parliament and even eliminate the mediation of parliament.”

Italian semiotician and novelist of the late 20th century, Eco was a scholar of medieval literature and a cultural critic whose work bridged academia and fiction. He’s best known for *The Name of the Rose*, a historical mystery that blends philosophy and medieval intrigue, and for his essays on semiotics, media, and the nature of signs. His later novels, like *Foucault’s Pendulum*, explore conspiracy, knowledge, and the limits of interpretation.