public sphere

• habermas argues that the development of early modern capitalism brought into being an autonomous arena fof public debate
• the space between the private domain and the state
• public sphere came to be dominated by an expanded state and organized economical interest
• people collectively determine through the processes of rational argument
• the bigger companies get, the more they lose sight of people
• re conceptualized and reincarnate the public sphere in a new form

media watchdog

• primary democratic role of the media is to act as a public watch dog overseeing the state
• regulation, state or free market
• rules and regulations (government) control the media/press
• james curran says you have to the media free form the state
• ‘only by anchoring the media to the free market is possible to ensure the media complete independence from government
• ‘once the media becomes subject to public regulation, it will lost its bite as a watchdog and may even be transformed into a snarling rottweiler in the service of the state