Between authenticity and simplification. The danger of stereotyping based on the image of Podhale Highlanders in online media

The research paper is dedicated to the analysis of the image of the Podhale community in the space of selected digital media. The author attempts to demonstrate the negative consequences of the media’s perpetuation of stereotypes about the people of Podhale. Based on available scientific publications, the author compares the real image of the Podhale people, as seen by the representatives of the community, with the one created by the media. The media image is outlined with the help of the research findings from the author’s original bachelor’s thesis „The Image of Podhale Highlanders in the Internet Media” conducted in March and April 2024. General information portals such as Interia, Onet, Wirtualna Polska, and TV broadcasters TVP, Polsat, and TVN were then subjected to content analysis. The research was based on the results proposed by the Google Chrome browser for queries about the Podhale Highlanders. The author points to the need to develop methods to counteract the media destruction of image, emphasizing the need for media education. The role of journalistic ethics in shaping a balanced image of the Podhale people is also important.