Studies in Media and Communication Vol. 10, No. 2; December 2022 ISSN: 2325-8071 E-ISSN: 2325-808X Published by Redfame Publishing URL: http://smc.redfame.com 65 Misleading Through Images: Television News as Simulacrum Ľuboš Greguš 1 , Anna Kačincová Predmerská 1 , Jana Radošinská 1 1 Faculty of Mass Media Communication, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovak Republic Correspondence: Ľuboš Greguš, Faculty of Mass Media Communication, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, 917 01, Slovak Republic. Received: May 5, 2022 Accepted: June 10, 2022 Online Published: June 13, 2022 doi:10.11114/smc.v10i2.5557 URL: https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v10i2.5557 Abstract The aim of the presented theoretical-empirical study, which is based on theoretical reflection on the issue in question, case study and application of quantitative content analysis, is to discuss the occurrence of simulations in contemporary television newscasting in the context of the construction of media reality. Due to the specificity of the topic and the complexity of the research, we focus on informing about foreign affair events portrayed by the Slovak news television channel TA3. Drawing from current studies and acquired data sets, the research material consists of 712 television news items by TA3 and 4208 audio-visual agency materials by Reuters published over a two-month period, more specifically in January 2019 and May 2019. We conducted quantitative content analysis in order to point out the degree of occurrence of simulations in television news. Considering the results of the inquiry, we can confirm the unclear labelling of stock and archive images in every eighth television news item, which can lead to distortion of recipients’ imagination, i.e., towards misrepresentation or ‘bending’ objective reality in their minds caused by television broadcasting. Keywords: audio-visual materials, media reality, news, simulacrum, social constructivism, television 1. Introduction Problems and concepts such as television news, agenda-setting, media reality or the relationship between images (signs) and objective reality belong among the traditional research topics of media and communication studies. Talking about and pointing to current journalistic practice and its trends, especially in the era of hypermodern society, which is marked by a significant increase in spreading disinformation, fake news and deepfakes, is very important for the development of civil society. Following the framework of the presented study, we focus on media reality and the ways it comes into existence – specifically on processing foreign news reports which are present in television broadcasting. In our opinion, insufficient attention is paid to one of the strongest aspects of media communication – the use of audio-visual material, which evokes in viewers a sense of credibility and direct contact with objective reality outside their empirical experience. Therefore, we pay attention to the labelling of accompanying illustrations, stock images or archive materials. Given the nature of audio-visual media and their potential influence on the creation of social discourses and worldviews, it is important to clearly identify the origin of such audio-visual materials and, if necessary, to mark them (as stock images, archive images, etc.). Offering a case study of TA3, the only TV broadcaster (at the time of the research) in the Slovak Republic providing a monotype news program service to the public, we point out the media practice of this specific news channel and the character of its news content. With regard to this issue, the theoretical part of the study pays attention to key concepts – social constructivism and the creation of media reality, the concept of “simulacrum” in the context of television news and, of course, news agencies, which are an irreplaceable source of information and audio-visual media materials on the global scale. 2. Theoretical Background The research on media effects and the influence of media content on cognitive mechanisms, social behavior and individual decision-making is an important part of media and communication studies. These communication patterns manifest themselves through voting decisions, parental upbringing, media consumption, etc. The impact of the media on society is vivid and undoubted, although the media effects inquiry is often hard to define or even conduct. Many theorists talk about ambiguity of media reality and the media’s inability (or rather impossibility) to generate and disseminate clear, objective information. The reason is that the media present only their own interpretations of specific events, facts or people processed by particular employees (Pereira & Correia, 2007; Vojtek, 2012; Lapčík, 2012;