Abstract
We live in a time in which processes of globalisation of communication and media culture have become very important. Worldwide, "third, transnational cultures" with "sets of practices, bodies of knowledge, conventions and lifestyles "1 have emerged beyond national boundaries. These "third cultures", of which the global mass media are a central component, contain a system of symbols and world views that overhaul local and national cultures on the basis of (media) economic concentration and (media) aesthetic harmonisation processes. However, the "third cultures" as dominant world cultures do not lead to the disappearance of local/national cultures. Thus, mass media do not have a determining effect on people, but are used in everyday situations against the background of specific social, cultural and biographical conditions.
