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.