Contenu du sommaire

Communication sciences : a cultural dependency ? First the authors question the foundations, the logic and the conceptual tools of the so-called communication sciences. Then they point out the ambiguities and the contradictions of these sciences, which together with their all entrapping capacity, "enables" them to pontify and to claim all tilings to be in the realm of communicology. A recall of their main episte-mological breeding ground — interactionism, structuralism and cybernetics — is followed by an examination of the historical contect within which these sciences emigrated and settled in France. We witness the "French-ization" of these native American communication sciences. The authors then raise the question of the social issues which these sciences can effectively study and those which they simply obfuscate. In the beginning, these sciences were imported by practionners who dealt in communication expertise. During the present decade they spread over into the academic field and have begun to infiltrate university curricula and research programs where they now hold a position of some importance. Their rather rapid rise may be explained thus : — the inability of traditional social sciences to come up with conceptual models and techniques which are both simple to apply and readily adapt¬ able, — and by the felt need of new auxiliaray administrative services of monop¬ olistic corporations and of governments to control the production and the distribution within society of those symbols which support public relations campaigns by reinforcing and/or modifying the public image of private firms and public policies. In view of this, the contribution of the communication sciences is all the more valuable because contradictions within ideological apparatus are becoming increasingly acute.

The birth of Québec television 1949-1953 In Canada, the history of television is like a pregnancy ; the period preceding birth, although apparently uneventful, is at least of equal importance as the moment of birth itself. Rediscovering the beginnings of the French network of Canadian television, the author describes these historical moments which were to determine the living conditions and the life style of Radio-Canada. First he describes the three years period (1949-1951) in which the technical means of production and distribution were set up. Then follows the experimental stage (January-September 1952) which saw the launching of a great number of "premiers". Finally, the author recalls briefly the first shaky but decisive steps taken by the Québec television industry (September 6th 1952 — January 1953). In all, three forgotten years in the history of Québec television but whose determining influence cannot be overstated.

Deontology and the press : the difficulties of conception and application The authors examine the appropriateness of a professional code of ethics for journalists. They first consider the possible articles of journalistic deontology, then review the conditions under which such articles are habitually put into practice in the Western world : a corporate body or tribunal regulating and sanctioning professional activities. The binding obligations of owners, publishers and journalists towards a code of ethics raise a number of questions which are discussed by the authors. In view of the practical difficulties which a code of ethics engenders, it is suggested that measures put forth by the British Press Council be adopted.

The study of the mass communications and cultural establishments in the USSR The author introduces us to the main fields of sociological study of mass media and of the cultural centers in the Soviet Union. Having briefly retraced the rapid and important grouth of the communications systems in his country, the author then offers a general resume of the findings which result from these sociological studies. He concludes his article by describing the functions — a total of eleven — which are fulfilled by the mass media in the Soviet Union.