Paweł CIOŁKIEWICZ: Television and public sphere

The subject of the article is the question how the television influences and affects the public sphere. First, the author analyzes the main theses of Marshall McLuhan theory concerning the role of the media in the process of social changes. Next, he presents the basic critical remarks addressed to this theory. In the subsequent passage, the author describes negative impact of television on public sphere. The author believes that this impact is related to specificity of television as a “cool medium” (in terms of McLuhan). The author concentrates on two issues, which are related to the television: tabloidization of the media and uncritical use of the political marketing. Both phenomena are described as extremely dysfunctional and destructive for contemporary democracy. In conclusion the author analyses negative consequences of this phenomena for public sphere and public opinion.