HABERMAS AND CHOMSKY

Public vs Private Sphere

The Public Sphere is the shared issues and problems we face as a shared group (society) and how those problems can be discussed freely together, whereas The Private Sphere is issues that concern the individual in personal life.

“Habermas argues that the development of early modern capitalism brought into being an autonomous arena of public debate.”
Habermas says that the public sphere is “a virtual or imaginary community which does not necessarily exist in any identifiable space.” He commented at a time in which the media was becoming ‘rationalised’ and pushed the public to the ‘side-lines’
‘Arena of public debate’ in which a ‘public opinion’ is formed.
Before the creation of print media through the printing press, the public weren’t able to read or write, inhibiting their ability to share opinions and information. Habermas says that the media paved the way to allow people to share thoughts, therefore make change in a freer, more libertarian way.
“The primary role of the media is to act as a public watchdog, overseeing the state”
“Once the media is subject to public regulation” it will lose its ability to comment freely on current affairs.

Noam Chomsky (born 1928) is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historical essayist, social critic, and political activist.

Chomsky says that the media works with the monarchy, the state and alongside with the ruling ideology to create a product that ‘manipulates’ and ‘persuades’ the audience to believe the view being presented as the truth.
He is critical of the media, saying that it is hand in hand with the government.
“(The media) is a mechanism that is deliberately used by the rich and the powerful (the elite)”.
“Mass media firms are big corporations. Often, they are part of even bigger conglomerates. Their end game? Profit” – Noam Chomsky: The five filters of the mass media.
The Propaganda Model: “It traces the routes by which money and power are able to filter out the news fit to print, marginalize dissent, and allow the government and dominant private interests to get their messages across to the public”
‘Manufacturing Consent’ – The media encourages consent.
The media is not a transparent ‘window’ on the world. Like the public, the media has opinions and values which influence their presentation of the world.

5 Filters: The type of news published in the media

1.Structures of ownership

Only a select few companies that own the media, therefore only a select few ideologies/ perspectives are being promoted.
Conglomerates
Endgame: Profit
Critical (quality/accountability/education/discussion/thinking) journalism takes second place.

2.The role of advertising

3.Links with ‘The Establishment’

4.Diversionary tactics – ‘flak’

The term “flak” has been used to describe what Chomsky and Herman see as efforts to discredit organizations or individuals who disagree with the politicial ideal.
Distorting/ challenging/ undermining stories that don’t satisfy the powerholders through changing the focus.

5.Uniting against a ‘common enemy’

AGENDA SETTING, FRAMING, MYTH MAKING, CONDITIONS OF CONSUMPTION