Curran studied the early 1800s era of media distribution, and described how newspapers were only producible by people with the wealth to manufacture products on an industrial scale.
The free market of media and newspapers means that the outcome of the products has the potential to be ultimately decided by the consumers themselves.
‘Habermas argues that the development of early modern capitalism brought into being an autonomous arena of public debate.’
The public sphere is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action ( Realm of communication and is the reality of the world vs private realm.)
The emergence of an independent, market-based press, created a new public engaged in critical political discussion.
‘he argues, the public sphere came to be dominated by an expanded state and organised economic interests’
‘created a new public engaged in critical political thinking’