German sociologist

• Habermas – believes that democracy is good and people should know knowledge about the world ( new )
• public space through a private domain where peoples agree on opinions and set things to do together, not supporting the governments actions.

• read and write though communications across the glob

• the whole idea of the public sphere is that it connects people horizontally rather than vertically

• communications started at home through family, the into the public society in libraries and coffee shops. coffee shop culture is known to be really important, as well as travelling as it allows you to connect to people more and allot you to know more knowledge of society.

• helps society change
• mass production – helps companies and co-operations start to take over and start dominating – mass media globalization has reduced the effectiveness of the public sphere = resulted in PLURALITY ( fewer people discussing the news)
• new media technologies is the transformation of the public sphere

strengths

• allows communications

weakness

• poor quality – anonymity
• TMI

concept of public interest endure quotes:

• “the media do serve the public interest or general welfare whether by design or chance”
• “democratic societies there are likely to be grounds on which an argued claim can be made”
• how do we benefit everyone in society? public control, like government or deregulation “extension of the free market, anyone can?