Original scientific paper

SYSTEMIC THEORY OF MASS MEDIA

Tomo Jantol ; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Mass media produce various communicational products in the form of messages
coded in the symbolic language of writing, sound or image, which they
distribute through the open public space for unknown users. Unlike the traditional
theories, which directed their attention above all to the social effects
of media products, the systemic theory inquires into the very process of their
production, deeming that precisely the latter is the real reality of mass media:
the factual operations which are performed systemically, through application
of the binary code of information/non-information, and according to the internal
rules of its structure. The real reality, however, is inaccessible to the
observer. Consequently, he can gain knowledge of it only in such a way as to
construct from the forms in which it appears to him an observed reality as his
own perception thereof. The systemic theory suggests that its construction of
mass media reality is most congruous with their real reality. Keeping in mind
that each observer performs his construction of reality of the thing observed in
accordance with his own knowledge and understanding, the author asks himself:
where is the evidence of the trustworthiness of such constructions?

Keywords

system; environment; autopoiesis; function; observed reality; real reality

Hrčak ID:

72016

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/72016

Publication date:

4.10.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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