Sabína Gáliková Tolnaiová – Communication Today

Media coverage and Its Determinants in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sabína Gáliková Tolnaiová — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 13:00:26 +0000

ABSTRACT:
This study covers the issue of information dissemination. Along with recognising this topic in the social epistemology framework, the authors aim to identify and analyse the circumstances and significant factors that determine it in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. They uncover certain risks in terms of achieving the very objectives of disseminating information via the media.In the first part, the authors outline the process’s essence and nature, but also its social value in the current pandemic situation. They make a particular reference to the role of journalism, or rather journalists in their specific professional and personal circumstances (broader and global communication ecology that concerns the pandemic with a direct news cycle, or social media and layman media practices and, for example, also the financing issues or insecurity of the profession, economic conditions, etc.). In the second part, they identify the determining factors influencing media coverage – its technological context – space and time, but also ethical and noetic factors related to journalists. They draw attention to relations and interactions that shape the specific character of media-disseminated information and bring risks (‘information explosion’ in society, including “(dis)infodemic”, the professional noetic crisis in connection with the crisis of relevant concepts in journalism and the quality of journalists’ work, but also the ethical crisis in the context of non-ethical interests and relations in the media (ideological, political, economic), journalists’ personal moral failures and their own neglect of epistemic (cognitive) training in the context of professional practice, etc.) for the public, concerning its aim to contribute to the reduction of social uncertainty, fear, risk of fear and panic, or to the correct and ethical judgement and action of the public at the time of the pandemic.

KEY WORDS:
COVID-19, disinformation, hoax, infodemic, journalism, media-disseminated information, pandemic, truth

04. GALIK – GALIKOVA TOLNAIOVA – CT 1-2022 Download

Media and Truth in the Perspective of the Practice and Life Form of the Modern “Homo Medialis”

Sabína Gáliková Tolnaiová — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 09:11:04 +0000

ABSTRACT:
The author of the article speaks about epistemological relevancy or rather correctness of media-offered contents, trying to understand the nature of media ‘truth’. She bases her viewpoint on the assumption that these qualities are influenced by the general practice and ways of media production. Essentially, she identifies two forms of practice – the one applied by media professionals and the one typical for amateurs and common people using the Internet. These approaches differ in the ways media content is created and the truth criteria are applied. They represent two different media worlds, each one with its own ‘rules of the game’ and ‘truth regime’. Finally, the author examines what kind of “homo medialis” is required by these pluralist media worlds – or, in other words, how this “homo medialis” should interact with various versions and structures of media reality and truth. The author believes people should employ ‘transversal’ rationality. Homo medialis should then be a person with free will; their ars vivendi should incorporate and nourish certain ‘counter-actions’ that would fight a rather spontaneous tendency to automatically believe mediated information and thus accept the totalitarian claim offered by (one of) incomplete images and associations, i.e. fight against claims that the presented media truth is the absolute and unquestionable one. The author believes that this ars requires constant questioning of what the (media) truth is.

KEY WORDS:
common people, homo medialis, information, media and society, media practice, media professionals, media reality, media truth, news

01. GALIKOVA TOLNAIOVA – CT 1-2019 Download

Influence of the Internet on the Cognitive Abilities of Man. Phenomenological and Hermeneutical Approach

Sabína Gáliková Tolnaiová — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:33:29 +0000

ABSTRACT:
In this article, the authors study the influence of the Internet on human cognitive abilities using a phenomenological and hermeneutical approach. They characterize the Internet as an electronic or technological form of media communication facilitating nearly instantaneous and active dissemination of information, in particular image-based information. The authors study the Internet’s influence on the cognitive abilities of humans using a definition of the Internet as multilaterally connected information networks. Applying the theoretical approach, they reach the conclusion that newly formulated thinking strategies feature a network-like character to the detriment of the ability to observe, remember and other higher levels of thinking. The empirical approach is based on neurological and sociological studies which reveal the fact that new ways or strategies of thinking are being fixed in the brain, thereby driving long-term and permanent changes in human thinking. In such a case, the inability to concentrate on one idea for an extended period of time in order to reach a deeper state of contemplation proves to be at risk. In connection to this, we may encounter, as the authors believe, symptoms of knowledge deficiency resulting from a loss of interest in linear, chronological thinking. The authors claim that knowing these risks should lead to a more careful and more critical approach to the Internet, or even Internet communication, which may partially mitigate its negative influence.

KEY WORDS:
phenomenology, hermeneutics, the Internet, cognitive processes, linear and non-linear thinking, consideration, memory, level of thinking

01_Gálik_Tolnaiová_CT-1-2015 Download

Influence of the Internet on the Cognitive Abilities of Man. Phenomenological and Hermeneutical Approac

Sabína Gáliková Tolnaiová — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:31:23 +0000

ABSTRACT:
In this article, the authors study the influence of the Internet on human cognitive abilities using a phenomenological and hermeneutical approach. They characterize the Internet as an electronic or technological form of media communication facilitating nearly instantaneous and active dissemination of information, in particular image-based information. The authors study the Internet’s influence on the cognitive abilities of humans using a definition of the Internet as multilaterally connected information networks. Applying the theoretical approach, they reach the conclusion that newly formulated thinking strategies feature a network-like character to the detriment of the ability to observe, remember and other higher levels of thinking. The empirical approach is based on neurological and sociological studies which reveal the fact that new ways or strategies of thinking are being fixed in the brain, thereby driving long-term and permanent changes in human thinking.
In such a case, the inability to concentrate on one idea for an extended period of time in order to reach a deeper state of contemplation proves to be at risk. In connection to this, we may encounter, as the authors believe, symptoms of knowledge deficiency resulting from a loss of interest in linear, chronological thinking. The authors claim that knowing these risks should lead to a more careful and more critical approach to the Internet, or even Internet communication, which may partially mitigate its negative influence.

KEY WORDS:
phenomenology, hermeneutics, the Internet, cognitive processes, linear and non-linear thinking, consideration, memory, level of thinking

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