Prof. Małgorzata Łosiewicz and prof. Wiktor Pepliński from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Gdańsk have become members of the established in January 2021 Committee of Social Communication and Media Sciences of PAN.

The Committee of Social Communication and Media Sciences of PAN was established in January this year by the Praesidium of PAN. The members of the Presidium unanimously adopted a resolution to establish the Committee, which will operate at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences until the end of the current term, that is until December 2022. The Committee was chaired by prof. dr hab. Iwona Hofman - a media expert from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, president of the Polish Social Communication Association.

Other members of the Committee were scientists from the University of Gdansk: prof. Małgorzata Łosiewicz and prof. emeritus Wiktor Pepliński.

- 'The appointment was made pursuant to the resolution of the Praesidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences of April 20, 2021. I am one of the Coordinators of the Committee's first task, which is to prepare a report on the state of research in the discipline of social communication sciences and media. This study will cover issues concerning the evolution of the subject of research, national and international research networks, positioning of scientific journals, directions of research and teaching or cooperation with scientific societies,' - says prof. Małgorzata Łosiewicz.

During its first term, the Committee will undertake to solve the following problems:

1) Preparation of a report - an opening balance sheet for a new paradigm of the discipline of social communication and media science.

2) Preparing an analysis of the value of information as a problem of media education.

3) Assessing the changes in the media system in Poland.

4) Preparing recommendations concerning the use of digital media in research and scientific communication as well as in education.

As prof. Łosiewicz emphasises, the establishment of the Committee for Social Communication and Media Sciences is a very important stage in the development and institutional formalisation of the discipline of social communication and media science.