Discourses on the academic position of communication and media studies

Abstract

Towards the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, it has become clear that communication is one of the main drivers of globalization, and that the media, one of the most important means of doing so, have a major impact on individual countries, continents and, ultimately, the world. However, the recognition of communication and media studies as an academic field with a centuries-old tradition is still quite rudimentary in Hungary. This paper provides an introduction to the history of communication and media research, a brief overview of its institutionalization in Hungary, and ultimately argues that this field of research will continue to be crucial not only for the understanding of our technology, but also for the understanding of our own human nature and society.