Mediаlogy as an Interdisciplinary Metatheory:Structure and Concept of Modeling

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to examine the media as a multilevel communication system encompassing technological, cognitive, socio-cultural, and ethical dimensions of its functioning within the context of digital transformation and evolving modes of information exchange. The relevance of the topic lies in the urgent need for a conceptual understanding of how contemporary media have ceased to operate merely as passive channels of data transmission and have become active constructors of cultural matrices, collective consciousness, and behavioural patterns. This shift necessitates the development of a new metatheoretical framework – mediаlogy – capable of offering an integrated approach to the study of a complex reality in which communication processes emerge at the intersection of humanistic, social, and technological factors. The aim of the research is to formulate an interdisciplinary construction of the metatheory of medialogy, one that systematises contemporary media knowledge and substantiates the significance of concepts such as media literacy, ethical responsibility, and cultural norms in the digital age as essential components for fostering informational resilience and reflective media behaviour. The methodological framework includes theoretical analysis to grasp the multifaceted nature of media; an analytical-synthetic approach combined with systems thinking to elaborate an integrative metatheory; and empirical validation through an expert online survey (CAWI method), designed to identify key evaluations and priorities in the contemporary understanding of media as a social institution. The study concludes that medialogy functions as a metatheoretical paradigm ensuring interdisciplinary coherence across research approaches. It enables the synthesis of empirical data, critical interpretation, and philosophical generalisation, thereby offering a holistic model for understanding and designing the media environment as a space of cultural production, ethical engagement, and cognitive orientation. In this context, media literacy, media ethics, and media culture are not isolated domains but interrelated elements in shaping a responsible public sphere–one that resists manipulative practices, strengthens resilience to informational distortion, and cultivates a renewed humanistic sensibility.