Public Spheres Old and New: From Mass Communication to Digital Platforms

Abstract

This paper explores the question of whether the concept of the public sphere is still relevant in an age of digital platforms. Noting that the concept was originally developed in the era of mass communication, it is nonetheless argued that the public sphere concept retains empirical and normative relevance. This is seen around the global push to regulate digital platforms, the extent to which the ‘content’ of social media is mainstream news, and the question of how to ensure trust in public institutions and achieve compliance with public directives, as seen with the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Keywords: public sphere, trust, Habermas, digital platforms, post-public sphere, news, COVID-19, platform regulation

JEL Classification: L15, L40, L51