Are the contemporary media in their activity governed by any „primary principle”? How the question is answered is of fundamental importance for the understanding and assessment of their activities. It seems that it is not unreasonable to seek an answer to the question in combination of two religious models, that is, polytheism and monotheism. In addition to the religious capacity of these models, they also have a philosophical dimension. In the light of philosophical analysis, it appears that the „polytheistic principle” is broadly rooted in the operation of contemporary media, which can be seen above all in giving pre-eminence to human activity and in reducing knowledge to experiment. Numerous examples can confirm this.
Key words: media, polytheism, monotheism, truth, action, ethos