Why?

Information society, media society and global village

Modern societies are nowadays increasingly referred to as "information societies" since the production, distribution and use of information plays an ever more important role in them. Consequently, the telecommunications sector and the media-centred technological developments lying behind it have become one of the largest growth industries. This evolution has increased the significance of media-based communication in particular so much so that terms such as "the media society" or "global village" are beginning to catch on. The role of western television in the revolutions in Eastern Europe, the importance of CNN during the Gulf War, the increasing presence of the media and PR not only in business but also in politics, or the rapid growth and penetration of the Internet illustrate these trends.

Communication solves and creates problems

The enormous increase in the flow of information and communication possibilities has not, however, made society's problems any easier to deal with. The newly-emerging communication and media systems are resulting in knock-on effects on the individual and societal level: communication itself is becoming the problem, both in the form of personal information overload and in the development of an all-embracing global culture which seems to be affecting our cultural idiosyncrasies. New challenges are also arising in the sphere of media politics and media ethics as well as challenges of a pedagogic and journalistic nature. These are caused by the emerging private media operators from home and abroad, by increased media crossover and concentration, and by the increased blending of information and entertainment.

Scientific analysis

As a result of this, the need for scientific elucidation and analysis as well as that for optimising media communication and its effects on society has constantly grown. Consequently, the amount of research carried out in the field of mass communication has grown strongly.