What is the meaning of audiovisual content? I have completed work on the second research paper on the academic achievements of bishop Adam Lepa.
As I mentioned, I am conducting research within the framework of a research grant. Entitled: Bishop Adam Lepa (1939-2022) – pioneer of religious media education in Poland. We are preparing a scientific monograph. Also in preparation is a dictionary of educational-media terms and scenarios for school classes. The subject of my study: Image and word in audiovisual culture. The perspective of bishop Adam Lepa.
Image by freepikWhat is the meaning of audiovisual content? Theory of the logosphere and iconosphere
Modern audiovisual culture, dominated by images and words, is an important part of our daily lives. In the age of digital media, where visual and verbal messages intermingle, it is worth reconsidering their role and impact on society. Bishop Adam Lepa, known for his reflections on media and communication, offers a unique perspective. His reflections allow us to understand how images and words shape our reality. And how influence our perception of the world, and what challenges and opportunities audiovisual culture brings.
In posing questions about image and word in audiovisual culture, I sought answers primarily in bishop Adam Lepa’s recent 2017 monographs. Entitled: Logosphere. On the environment of the word and Iconosphere. The environment of the image. This is research material. I have also used his other publications on this issue. Including Pedagogy of the mass media from 2000 and The function of the logosphere in media education from 2006, as well as selected scholarly articles.
I used critical analysis, a research method applied to scientific papers and studies by other scholars. The goal was to establish the main assumptions of bishop Adam Lepa’s theory of the logosphere and iconosphere. I posed two research questions:
- What phenomena of contemporary audiovisual culture does bishop Adam Lepa analyze?
- How, through media education, can we counteract the phenomenon of the dominance of the iconosphere in audiovisual culture according to bishop Adam Lepa?
The results of my study of audiovisual culture from the perspective of bishop Adam Lepa
Studying and researching bishop Adam Lepa’s theory of the logosphere and iconosphere, one can point out several of its important, as well as unique, features.
First of all, it is an original approach to the problem of contemporary audiovisual culture, in which one can observe the dominance of the image and the marginalization of the word. The reason for this is the spread of audiovisual media, film, television and the Internet as the main forms of social communication. However, it is not their use alone that is the cause here, but the lack of audience awareness in this regard.
Secondly, the phenomenon of unequal cultural proportions of the iconosphere and logosphere leads to the disappearance of discursive thinking, which bishop Adam Lepa emphasizes as the essence of the problem. Hence his interest in studying this matter. However, he is not an opponent of audiovisuality and visuality; moreover, his criticism points to the possibilities of positively embracing the new media culture as a form of entertainment and relaxation. Among other things, he points to radio, which, as an auditory medium, is conducive to the development of the logosphere.
Thirdly, the theory of the logosphere and iconosphere is not so much a theoretical concept as a practical one demanding social action. Above all, it is a program of media education, academic and school, based on a return to a culture of words instead of mere media consumption of images, promoting critical thinking, selective choice of media content, emphasizing the importance of the printed press. A timely program given the progressive, technological development of visual and audiovisual media.
