Dear friends and colleagues,
I regret to inform you that Dr. Karol Jakubowicz has died. His
wife, Małgorzata Semil, was in touch about two weeks ago in response
to a routine request I had sent to Karol. He wasn't able to respond
in person, but provided a suggestion that she kindly forwarded. Karol
died on Sunday morning, April 28, after an illness related to the
life-long complications of his general health since birth. He endured
a series of operations over a period of weeks and had managed to pull
through those, but after a brief period of improvement when taken out
of intensive care, and when his family hoped he might recover, his
situation worsened again and he was not able to recover.
Karol was a great intellect. He contributed to three RIPE conferences
(2004, 2006 and 2008) and authored chapters in the series of Readers
published by NORDICOM. He produced a series of reports for the
Council of Europe that are essential documents in media policy about
PSM in Europe. In fact, he was a primary source of original thinking,
together with his friend Christian Nissen, about the transition to
PSM. He published numerous books and innumerable journal articles and
conference papers over the decades. He was a highly respected and
accomplished scholar and one of the handful of 'go to guys' in
central and Eastern Europe. Karol had a wry wit that often provoked
much laughter. He was a voracious reader and he found true joy in the
playground and workshop of ideas. I enjoyed our friendship enormously
and I will miss him. I find it hard to accept that he is no longer
with us. He was a good man and a dear friend.
There is no need to respond to me. I am simply informing you of
Karol's death at Małgorzata's request.
Rest in peace, my friend -- and behalf of all your colleagues in this
network, much thanks for all that you contributed in so many ways to
so many people. You have made a difference that makes a difference.
Regards,
Greg
***********************************************
Gregory F. Lowe
Professor of Media Management
School of Communication, Media & Theatre
Main Building room E218
University of Tampere, Finland
Continuity Director, RIPE Initiative
EMMA President (2012-2014)
(Greg.Lowe /at/ uta.fi) <mailto:(Greg.Lowe /at/ uta.fi)>
(glowe /at/ pp.inet.fi) <mailto:(glowe /at/ pp.inet.fi)>
+358 400 475300
