Research on 21st-century film and television works offers a comprehensive reflection on hypermodern media culture

The APVV research project titled “Hypermodern Media Culture – Film and Television Production as a Mirror of 21st-Century Sociocultural Phenomena,” which is scheduled to conclude in June 2026, successfully summarizes its findings to date for the period from 2022 to 2026. The project is being carried out by a team of researchers at the Faculty of Mass Media Communication at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, led by principal investigator Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Jana Radošinská, PhD.

The aim of the project is to identify and explain the sociocultural phenomena present in contemporary film and television production through interdisciplinary research.

Support for education and young researchers

An important part of the project was the integration of research findings into the teaching process. This led to the creation of university textbooks such as Media Discourse I and Media Discourse II, as well as Foundations of Research in Media and Communication Studies, which are used by students at all levels of study. “The educational potential of the project is just as important to us as the research activities and scientific goals,” explains Jana Radošinská.

“Published works help us improve the quality of teaching in several subjects and motivate us to engage in ongoing discussions about fundamental changes in content and form in 21st-century audiovisual production. Contemporary works must convincingly reflect the social reality of the audience—the individuals who make up that audience. Their success therefore often depends on the ability to connect fictional stories with people’s real-life experiences. At the same time, these shifts in meaning reveal a great deal about the social, cultural, and economic phenomena that surround us,” she notes.

The project also provided significant support to the younger generation of researchers, who contributed to achieving the project’s individual objectives. Over the course of four years, several doctoral dissertations and more than 80 master’s theses related to the project were completed.

Significant scientific and publication outputs

The project yielded a number of scientific outputs of international significance. The research team published dozens of studies in both domestic and international scientific journals, focusing on topics such as:

• representations of gender identities and stereotypes,
• the phenomena of nostalgia and intertextuality,
• fandom and its audiovisual representations,
• the impact of artificial intelligence on media production,
• the globalization of media culture (e.g., the phenomenon of Korean TV dramas),
• the social significance of film and television stories.

Key publications include several scholarly monographs, such as:

• Hypermodern media culture and its audiences (2024),
• Globalized Film and Television Production: Social and Thematic Dimensions (2025),
• Korean drama: From Korean TV to worldwide popularity (2024).

The project also resulted in a significant edited volume, Stories on Our Screens: Media Reflections of Hypermodern Society, Culture, and Everyday Life, which synthesizes insights into media representations of contemporary society across various genres and platforms.

Conferences, courses, and outreach activities

The project’s findings were presented at numerous domestic and international conferences through dozens of studies (e.g., Marketing and Media Identity, Quo Vadis, and the 11th International New York Conference on Evolving Trends in Interdisciplinary Research and Practices).

The activities also included outreach events for the general public, including discussions with experts from the field. New educational courses were also offered, such as Male Gaze vs. Female Gaze in Film and Television. The research team organized expert lectures, discussions, and educational workshops focused on topics such as:

• media discourse,
• evoking nostalgia through audiovisual stories,
• korean popular culture,
• the issue of gender representations in audiovisual works.

Current and upcoming outputs (2026)

In the current final phase of the project, other significant activities are being carried out:

• preparation of the edited publication Exposing Hypermodern Tensions: Detabuization in Film and Television Drama,
• organization of the international conference Film and Television: Mirror Halls of the Hypermodern (June 23, 2026),
• accompanying exhibition of visual materials.

The project’s contribution to scientific and social practice

The project represents a comprehensive and systematic contribution to the current academic debate on the role of the media in society. The research findings confirm that contemporary audiovisual productions are not merely a passive reflection of reality, but actively contribute to the shaping of social norms, cultural values, and public discourse.

The project also successfully bridges the gap between theoretical foundations and empirical research, as well as their implementation in educational practice, thereby extending beyond the scope of academic research and contributing to the development of critical thinking in a broader social context.

The research team emphasizes that media culture requires constant reevaluation in the context of rapidly changing technological and social conditions. The project opens the door to further international academic discussion on the role of film and television in a hypermodern society.

“The themes, ideas, and social meanings presented in film and television productions are constantly evolving. The project responds to these conceptual changes with the ambition to actively contribute to the increasingly intense public discussion on how films and TV series help shape fashion trends, reflect lifestyles, and communicate cultural values. We believe that the results and publications will serve as a starting point for further research activities. “In the future, we plan to focus on exploring the narrative and discursive elements present in film and television stories and their impact on the audience,” concludes Radošinská.