| Abstrakt: |
In the following text we will try to offer more or less chronologically the organized development of Czech intellectual interest in media with more systematic insight in establishing the inquiry of media as a self-conscious academic field. The text is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter, the early stage of reflections on media is described, including the first steps towards institutionalization of studying media made during the interwar period 1918–38. In the Czech and international contexts, the earliest expressions of interest in the role of media in society and the mechanisms of media communication seem to be associated with the work of the Czech-born humanist philosopher and educator Jan Amos Comenius (Komenský), especially his pedagogical and philosophical works. Comenius's reflections resonated in the Czech milieu in later efforts to establish an independent field of journalism, and in the circle of authors gathered around Duch novin. The reference to Comenius as a founding figure has, of course, mostly a mythological value—it is an attempt to construct a spectacular historical narrative: the story of the establishment of media studies. The systematic interest in media performance continued to grow after establishing independent Czechoslovakia in 1918 and was mostly run by increasing media awareness and included different trends: development of academic interest in media, reflections on media performance directed towards the general public, and professionally oriented courses addressing the journalistic community. These trends increasingly demanded building a solid base dedicated to the study of the media. The second chapter is focused on the post-war period, predominantly on the years 1948–1989 when Czechoslovakia was one of the Soviet satellites run by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. The atmosphere of post-war Czechoslovakia and the gradual polarization of political, social, and cultural life also influenced the interwar tradition of research on the media and media education, and on when reflections on the media were re-established. The possibility of building on interwar journalism was undoubtedly seriously weakened by the loss of prominent figures, but the awareness of the importance of the media (periodical press, radio, and film) in society persisted. The social and political changes initiated by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia's take-over of power in 1948, which led to a fundamental rebuilding of the institutional structure of society (including media), thus could count on the accepted state control of the media, a normative concept of social responsibility of the media supervized or even guaranteed by the state and the priority of no private ownership in media and no sensational media existing at all. The inclusion of Czechoslovakia among the countries falling under the Soviet Union's sphere of power in 1948 was reflected in changes in the organization, structure, and production of the media. The period from 1948 to 1989, when Czechoslovakia was part of the so-called Eastern Bloc, was internally structured, the media structure and the media content was changing, but the concept of the media as an educational tool with a strong emphasis on shaping public attitudes and behavior was valid throughout this period. The third chapter covers the development during and after social and political changes which started in the fall 1989. The disintegration of the Soviet Union after a chain of political changes which took place during the fall of 1989 marked a period of fundamental social, political, and economic transformation for the countries that were part of the "Eastern bloc." These fundamental changes were reflected in the media sphere in terms of legislation, structure, content, and performance. Printed periodicals were privatized and transformed—a number of titles has been reformed and relaunched, and new daily and magazine titles were created (especially successful were tabloid newspapers and magazines). A dominant part of the national and regional press went into the hands of foreign owners (who have started to draw back since 2006 and open the space for Czech entrepreneurs), domestic versions of international magazines appeared, a dual model of coexistence of private radio and television stations and public service stations was established in the broadcasting sector (and private stations gained a dominant position in the market). The general approach reflects the fact that other academic fields are predominantly researched by other academic disciplines (cinematography by film studies, books by philological disciplines, etc.) and that the focus on media is closely connected with the interest in the role and quality of journalism and journalism education in the Czech environment. For this reason, the text follows the reflections on journalism and steps in development of journalistic education as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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