Strukturalne następstwa cyfryzacji w niemieckim systemie medialnym

The process of digitalization has been bringing about changes in contemporary mass communication. The systematic researches on the effects of mass media having been conducted in West Germany since the 70s of the twentieth century point out to significant structural and functional transformations of the German system media. The article draws special attention to increasing social importance of the Internet, whose development has become a catalyst for the aforementioned changes. What is vital, the opinion of the users about the functional importance of the media has also changed. The Internet has become, along with television, the most important medium of entertainment and information. In turn, the Internet activity of big magazine and newspaper publishers, manifesting primarily in the creation of local information portals and online editions of the newspapers, led to the consolidation of local and regional media markets. Thus, the taking place changes constitute an essential challenge for the German media policy