Mass Media Culture in Slovakia (on the Example of Tracking the Value Message of Media Content Flowing to the Public)

Abstract

The media inherently reflect the cultural, political and social contexts of a nation through products (audiovisual programmes). Public opinion to some extent participates in the profiling of the programmes broadcast. The thematic concept of media products is marked by the current social current – the mainstream. The paper deals with the state of contemporary Slovak media in terms of value setting, specifically noting the pitfalls related to censorship, i.e. blocking uncomfortable opinions. It gives examples from media practice testifying to the violation of the typical principles of respecting the values of the pluralistic society in which we have been living for more than three decades. The main objective of the paper is to make the public image concerning media freedom (reflecting on problematic social causes) more accessible by presenting the stated facts, comparing them and placing them in a broader substantive context. Freedom of expression (thought) in the media should be maintained to a healthy degree even at the cost of expressing an opinion that contradicts the rhetoric of those in political power.