Die “nuwe” media: 'n riglyn vir toekomstige navorsing

SUMMARY

Up to now mass communication research has been done under the influence of a dominant effect paradigm. This has led to a microscopic study of the media. The media's relationship with and to the broader society has been overlooked, as well as the media's social, political, cultural and economic latency. As a guideline for the study of the “new” media this article argues that the media should be seen as a creator, mirror and interpreter of the 20th century culture. Such an approach will also lead to a more human definition of mass communication. Human in the sense that the “new” media will be studied in terms of its role in the human being's mutual search for the truth. The communicologist's role will then be to interpret and to evaluate the content and form of the “new” media. In so doing he will assist man in his search for truth. Hermeneutics and the semiological structuralism are suggested as the methods for this kind of interpretative analysis.