The autors explain, that the modern mass media, while trans-national in effect, always remain linked to a national context due to language and traditions. The focus is on the political potentional of the media and their importance for the fundamental politization od Central Europe societies during the 19th century being assesed as well as being exploited by the dictatorships of the 20th century.
The study examines also how the media shaped the images which Czech, Germans and Slovaks had of one another.