What is the role of the media in the contemporary world? What is their role in culture? In the promotion of artists? We asked the questions to Justyna Hofmokl, a sociologist who deals with the social aspects of new technologies and with the changes in the media market.

How important are the media today and what impact do they have on culture?

It is difficult for a sociologist to overestimate the importance of the media today. The reality is said to be „mediacized”, saturated with the media. The image of many phenomena and processes is simply shaped by the media. They are often the only source of knowledge of the reality. The appearance of the internet and the developing personalisation of the media message make this phenomenon even deeper. We create our own worlds by arranging the contents of the media according to our own expectations. And thus we create our own image of the world. We shouldn’t expect culture to remain indifferent to all those changes.

What is your opinion about the changes in the media market in Poland and in the world?

At the moment the media market is undergoing a revolution started by the development of digital technologies and the internet. The technological acceleration makes it more and more difficult to speak about individual, separate media - the press, the radio or television. That’s why one of the most popular concepts of the media market at the moment is the so-called convergence, i.e. merging and combining various media platforms. Publishers of newspapers must be present on the internet, complementing the contents of the paper issues with video materials, and recently also with audio recordings in the form of the so-called sub-casts. Televisions launch internet services, trying to meet the expectations of the viewers who expect the „television on demand”.  Such services are offered by the internet, where the users have access to the exchange nets of p2p files, as well as to community services, where the users also exchange files. The other side of this revolution is that viewers have become independent, quitted the attitude of a „couch potato” – a passive viewer sitting on a sofa with a remote control in their hand, mindlessly digesting the pulp offered. Today the audience, owing to cheap tools of the production of contents and to the easy access to distribution channels are more and more often the authors of programmes.
Poland is no longer a closed country that lingers outside the main stream of changes. Of course, not all technological novelties reach us as quickly as they reach the American market, but this does not mean that we are backward. We can be proud of very active and aware users of new technologies. We have very high percentage of mobile phone users, and Polish bloggers are the world leaders in writing internet diaries. Naturally, we are a young market that very often relishes novelties and copies Western solutions without analysing the local market. So it is in the case of numerous blog services that have multiplied in recent years. We are a market of huge potential however.    

How do the media influence the creation and sharing of culture goods?

The changes in the media market we can observe at the moment are going towards the facilitation of the processes of the exchange and sharing of culture goods. This is because the computing power of processors is getting cheaper and cheaper and the access to complicated tools of the creation of media contents is becoming increasingly easier. Of course, a very important problem of the copyright protection has appeared. Two options clashed here – to control and penalise the infringement of copyrights more strictly or to make the use of technological tools easier in order to promote artistic work. There are many ways in which one can make one’s works available on the internet, and earn some money on that without worrying about piracy and theft. Besides, the audience are more and more aware of what is legal and illegal.   
 
Can an artist exist without the media in our times?

This question should be answered by artists, not by sociologists. I am sure that many artists can function splendidly without the media, and very often in opposition to them. That the media have become a splendid tool for promoting artistic work is a completely different thing. Many artists see the internet as a means owing to which they can not only become known, but also extend the range of their activity and come into direct contact with the audience.

Do the media make full use of the potential that lies dormant in artists? How much culture is there in the media?

One should remember that the media must bring profit, which means that for now commercial contents dominate the artistic ones. The culture that sells well will find its place in the media. The internet, where many niche artist find ways to reach new audiences, is an interesting phenomenon and an opportunity to promote non-commercial culture. There are many examples of artists who have become known and gained recognition owing to the net.

And where does the audience come in here?

The audience get real power over the content of the media message. This is what Chris Anderson’s theory of „the long tail of culture” is about. In the traditional media environment everything that found its way to a mass audience was popular. Hence great careers, the cult of stars and hits. Today more and more people get access to their own, niche contents, which they are ready to pay for. Internet shops earn money not only on the novelties, but largely also on the golden oldies. Digital technology makes is possible to store all the contents, the old ones too. The audience get their favourite films or music that don’t necessarily remain on the top of the charts. Everybody benefits – the sellers and the authors who – in the traditional model – would have stopped earning long ago.

Do the media stimulate the development of enterprise in culture? Do artists create more owing to the access to various media, and as a consequence – to a wide audience?

Naturally, the new media make the market larger. They facilitate the access to the audience – diversity enhances creative power. This is a big chance for artists. The examples of successful internet services such as MySpace or YouTube show that artists can use media platforms for self-promotion.

Is the significance of the media in the context of culture promotion growing then?

The significance of the media is growing in every area of life. And culture is the area that benefits most.