Habermas it the making of connections with each other rather than under the control of the government

The public space is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, possibly leading to political influence in the government

Horizontal – rather than vertical. No longer follows a hierarchy, more freedom.

Free and liberal press- cohan, media shouldn’t be controlled by government. freedom is needed.

Mass media and globalization has effected the public sphere, don’t talk about issues face to face anymore. Internet similar as it transformed the public sphere. Big companies have secured control over media.

The criteria for assessing the media presented below are limited by their origin. The countries from which they derive are politically pluralistic, predominantly capitalist, the media arrangments in force often divergent.

Habermas is a German philosopher who developed the structural transformation of the public sphere theory. The public sphere is an undefined group of people effected by the media. It is a “society engaged in critical public debate”. he believed that the public sphere was dominant and a positive group up until the 1830’s when there was an disruption within the public sphere with the introduction of media.

Curran and Seaton

Their theory is that the media is controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit and power.

The concept of a ‘public interest’ Endures

Underlying the proposal for a normative framework is a fundamental presumption, that the media do serve the ‘public interest’ or ‘general welfare’ weather by design or chance.

Something is ‘in the public interest if it serves the ends of the whole society rather than those of some sectors of society’

Public control

VS

Deregulation

Ideally, somewhere between these two would serve the public interest most beneficially.

Habermas identifies three such media: speech, money, and power. Speech is the medium by which understanding is achieved in communicative action, while money and power are non-communicative media that coordinate action in realms like state bureaucracies or markets.

Public Sphere

Jurgen Habermas and his concept of the ‘Public Sphere‘,basically arguing that the developments in education and the mass media allowed for a greater access to information particularly with regard to government, authority and the exercise of control.

“a public sphere between the private domain and the state in which public opinion was formed and popular, supervision of government was established”

Media shouldn’t be controlled by the government and that freedom is needed

Mass Media in the Public Interest

Mass media is not the same as any other business or service industry, but carry out some essential tasks for the wider benefit of society, especially in cultural and political life.

A simple definition, drawn from the field of public planning is that something “is in the public interest if it serves the ends of the whole society rather than those of the sectors of the society” (Banfield 1995)

There is conflict between public control and deregulation

“Carry out some essential tasks for the wider benefit of society”

the public sphere- Making connections between individuals rather than all falling under the government.

A public space where individuals can challenge governments ideas.

horizontal – rather than vertical. Less hierarchy, more freedom.

rise of people= debate and challenge , Habermas believes this is healthy

mass media and globalization has effected the public sphere, don’t talk about issues face to face anymore

strength and weakness
+ communication, debate, accessible, don’t need money

-anonymity, too much infomation, quality of debate

internet similar as it transformed the public sphere. Big companies have secured control over media.

free and liberal press- curran, media shouldn’t be controlled by government. freedom is needed.

Public interest- the presumption that the media do serve the public interest. Internet is more important than any other business or service as it can share information with a wider society, especially culturally and politically. Something is in the public interest if it applies to a wider society. Trying to please a larger number of people rather than a certain group of people. Should the government (media) have public control or should it be deregulated. freedom? or control?

Making connections with each over than rather underneath the control of the government

The public sphere: a safe place for people to talk about the government

Free and liberal press: Cohan, the media shouldn’t be controlled by government. freedom is needed.

Horizontal; rather than vertical. Less hierarchy, more freedom.

Rise of people: they start to debate and challenge and Habermas believes this is healthy

Mass media and globalization has changed and affected the public sphere as people don’t discuss issues in person anymore

“a public space between the private domain and the state in which public opinion was formed and ‘popular’ supervision of government was established”

The public sphere is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action, especially government

Initially Public Sphere was good as people in the same social class (horizontally) would communicate together however as large companies take over the media, they control the info to make economic profit who collaborate with the government (vertical) – very authoritarian.

This happens to both Old and New Media as newspaper and magazine can be taken over by large conglomerates, new media is taken over by companies that own Facebook, YouTube and others.

‘The media can be held accountable for what they do and do not do’

‘public control’ ‘deregulation’