The Catalogue of the Polish Media is based on the database of the national media market: the press (printed and available on-line) and the electronic media (radio and tv). The electronic database is systematically actualized and it is also available in printed form.

In this year we prepared and published new edition of the Catalogue (1^st edition was published in the winter of 1991/1992). We have tried to record every change that took place on the Polish press market after 1989. Catalogue was created by the Section of Documentation and Scientific Information.

The Catalogue covers all national, regional or local media in Poland. It means that our Catalogue leaves out of account most of the scientific periodicals or alternative papers, the so-called fanzines (we published separate catalogues of these papers the previous years). Additionally, neither comic books nor publications for intellectual entertainment (such as crossword puzzles, children’s painting books) have been recorded. We have also not included such papers as leaflets, bulletins, school papers or advertising brochures. Yet, on the other hand we have managed to record all papers of general interest published in small towns or rural communes as well as parish papers.

Generally, the Catalogue covers every publication which has the international index ISSN. Such restriction is due to the fact that some of the publications mentioned above, though they have ISSN, do not correspond to the definition of press adopted by UNESCO in 1965. According to this definition, comic books, partworks and  crossword puzzles do not belong to the press sensu stricte. Unfortunately some of the parish papers also do not have this index but they are mainly used to inculcate traditional values and beliefs.

Rapid changes on the media market cause the situation in which information becomes outdated very quickly. Every year there are approximately 250 - 400 new titles and a similar number disappear from the market. Editors, editorial staff members and addresses change continuously together with circulation, distribution and layout.

Being aware of the diversity of the Catalogue users, we have introduced possibly the simplest structure of its content. It is based on the frequency and distribution range of newspapers and periodicals: DAILIES (1. National dailies; 2.Regional and supraregional dailies); WEEKLIES (1.National weeklies; 2. Regional and supraregional weeklies); FORTNIGHTLIES (1. National fortnightlies; 2. Regional and supraregional fortnightlies); MONTHLIES (1. National monthlies; 2. Regional and supraregional monthlies); BIMONTHLIES (1.National bimonthlies; 2. Regional and supraregional bimonthlies); QUARTERLIES AND OTHERS (1.National quarterlies and others; 2. Regional and supraregional quarterlies and others); LOCAL PRESS (of I level) Local press (of II level / sublocal); SUSPENDED PAPERS (or closed); RADIO (1. Radio - national stations; 2. Radio - regional and supraregional stations; 3. Radio - local stations); TELEVISION (1. Television - national and supraregional stations; 2. Television - regional and local stations; 3. Cable television) .

The Catalogue also contains extensive indexes: (1) alphabetical list of titles, (2) list of editors and their publications, (3) list of e-mails and Internet sites, (4) index of surnames, (5) geographical index, i.e. list of places where newspapers and periodicals are published, or places where radio and TV stations are located, and  (6) index of keywords.  

Each Catalogue press record includes 56 pieces of information on a given paper, i.e. its title, subtitle, basic information about the publisher, address of the editorial office, circulation, distribution system price of 1 copy and subscription.

Records of radio and tv stations includes basic information about frequency bonds and channels, range and power of transmitters, and sometimes about the number of listeners/viewers.

The ‘Catalogue’ is distributed among the media themselves (i.e. publishers, editorial offices, radio and tv broadcasters, printing houses, advertising, marketing and public relations agencies), branches of state administration and local authorities as well as other institutions gathering data on the media (i.e. libraries, schools, etc.).  The ‘Catalogue’ is available in three forms: printed, electronic data base or on-line demo version.