Abstract
Polish broadcasting studies languish in limbo. The power structure, having defined the goals of the broadcast media as serving the perpetuation of the social order and arranged their institutional and organizational structures accordingly, has no real need of research, especially as this might challenge the system. The same goes for broadcasters. The audience, living in a state of anomie, stress and fatigue, is guided in its viewing and listening patterns by a syndrome of `protective-escapist' and privatization motivations. The opposition uses its own print media to speak out on public issues. The general approach of Polish communication scholars is usually based on the Marxist schema, yet when empirical research is conducted, it follows a straight positivist methodology. Broadcasting research is scattered, sketchy and highly selective, avoiding politically sensitive areas. Now that glasnost is here, it is beginning to take up issues that were previously avoided, to challenge the present model of broadcasting and to propose alternatives to it. A lot of work is still needed, however, to remove the many blank spots in the knowledge and understanding of all aspects of Polish broadcasting.
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