Habermas and the Public Sphere

‘Critical reflection fostered by letters and novels, the flowering of discussion in coffee houses and salons and, above all, the emergence of an independent, market-based press.’

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

‘ The primary democratic role of the media is to act as a public watchdog over the state. ‘

Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin were both popular figures in the film industry and they both were actors, film makers and comedians. Both Keaton and Chaplin are still well known today for their ability to express emotion through movements and expressions. The Great Dictator was directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1940, The Blacksmith was directed by Buster Keaton in 1922.

Birth of a Nation which was originally called Clansmen was co-produced by DW Griffiths and released in February 1915. The movie was the first 12 reel film and longest movie ever made at the time. The movie was also the first to have a musical score for an orchestra. The film is also very controversial for a variety of reasons, firstly, the film portrayed black men as unintelligent and sexually aggressive towards white women, the Ku Klux Klan was also portrayed as a heroic force in the movie. After its release there was many protests against the film, most notably in Boston when thousands of people protested against the film.

https://books.google.je/books?hl=en&lr=&id=e799caakIWoC&oi=fnd&pg=PP17&dq=structural+transformation+of+the+public+sphere+habermas&ots=5QKBl0O1v5&sig=qjhmQ-8jIdIfFonYstdTdxoaD_g&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=structural%20transformation%20of%20the%20public%20sphere%20habermas&f=false

Habermas defines the public sphere as as a “society engaged in critical public debate”. Conditions of the public sphere are according to Habermas. The formation of public opinion.

“shows how different ways of financing and organising cultural production have traceable consequences for the range of discourses and representations in the public domain”.

The media as watchdog. “The watchdog role is said to override in importance all other functions of the media, and to dictate the form in which the media should be organised.”

“Classical liberal thought argues that the primary democratic role of the media is to act as a public watchdog overseeing the state.”

State media:

Controlled by the state meaning it will have the same views.

Free market:

Where media forms such as news, radio and other forms are not owned by the state meaning anyone can participate.

• Democracy is important in the public sphere as it allows for people to have an opinion, and depends on an audience that is informed
• The public sphere is where everyone is involved and people can interact with each other freely
• “a public space between the private domain and the state in which public opinion was formed and ‘popular’ supervision of government was established”
• The media and public sphere can be seen as ‘watch dog’
• James Curran focuses on Habermas and the concept of the public sphere
• In the public interest, created and produced by the public
• “created a new public engaged in critical political discussion”
• “The media ceased to be an agency of empowerment and rationality”
• “Discussion is free of domination and where all those participating in public debate do so on an equal basis”
• “Reconstituting private citizens as a public body in the form of public opinion”
• Media is said to be ‘free’ however it may not actually be free if it is owned by one person and taking away free will

The public sphere (habermas) is where individuals can come together and discuss the media freely, new media helps and hinders that. The public space should be working in the interest of the public.

“a public space between the private domain and the state in which public opionion was formed and ‘popular’ supervision of government was established” (p. 82: 1996)

media as watchdog -James Curran

“a public sphere between the private domain and the state in which public opinion was formed”

“the public sphere came to be dominated by an expandedstate and organized economic interests”

“primary role of media is to act as a public watchdog overseeing the state”

should media be state owned or free media

• He was sociologist & philosopher
• He believed democracy depended on the public
• He came up the the theory of the public sphere
• This is an area in social life where people can come together to freely discuss and identify problems
• This could possibly influence political action

“a public space between the private domain and the state in which public opinion was formed and ‘popular’ supervision of government was established” (p. 82: 1996)

• Media as ‘watchdog’
• The media acts in the public sphere in the public interest
• James Curran wrote ‘Mass Media and Democracy’ 
• He focuses on Habermas and his idea of the public sphere
• He argued that the developments in education and the mass media made it simpler to access information related to the government, authority & control
• Also, Denis McQuail argued that the media works in the public interest and not in commercial interest

“Habermas argues that the development of early modern capitalism [brings] public debate”

“How can this model… be universalised during the era of mass politics?”

“Classic liberal thought argues that the primary democratic role of the media is to act as a public watchdog overseeing the state.”

“This watchdog role is said to override in importance all other functions of the media…”

Should the media that is in the public sphere be controlled by the state OR should it be runned by the free market?