The media in Central and Eastern Europe 3224-D7MESW

The course is designed to introduce students to media systems and the main trends in media development in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with particular emphasis on the cultural aspects of media activity in the era of globalization.

The term "media" is understood here as mass media (press, radio, television, news portals, and social networks), that is, institutions that produce informational and entertainment content distributed to large, dispersed audiences. These media play a significant role in shaping social, political, and cultural life. During the course, media will be analyzed in the context of their recent history in the region, as well as their impact on intellectual and cultural life in Central and Eastern Europe.

Topics covered include:

1. Changes in media systems in the region after the fall of communism (typologies of media systems).
2. Historical, political, and cultural factors influencing the development of media in the region.
3. Media market transformations in the context of political and economic changes in Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States, and the former East Germany.
4. Features of contemporary media systems in individual countries of the region.
5. Media–state relations: public, commercial, and state-controlled media.
6. Comparative analysis of state interference in media systems across the region.
7. Processes of media concentration and deconcentration.
8. The specificity of press law in selected countries.
9. The impact of commercialization and tabloidization of media on culture.
10. Issues of journalistic ethics in the region.
11. The problem of censorship and self-censorship in mass media.
12. New media as an alternative to traditional media.
13. The role of social networks in social, cultural, and political life.
14. Citizen journalism in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
15. The culture-forming potential of new media in the region.

Student workload:

In-class participation – 30 hours (1 ECTS)
Preparation for classes – 30 hours (1 ECTS)

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Dobek-Ostrowska, B. (2002). Transformacja systemów medialnych w krajach Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej po 1989 roku. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.
Dobek-Ostrowska, B. (2019). Polski system medialny: trzy dekady po upadku komunizmu. W: Polski system medialny. Tom 2. Kielce: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jana Kochanowskiego.
Goban-Klas T. (2015). Media i komunikowanie masowe: teorie i analizy prasy, radia, telewizji i Internetu, Warszawa.
Wojciech Adamczyk (1999). Media masowe w procesie budowania demokracji w Polsce (1989–1995). Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.