The Public Sphere

1
The Public Sphere

• Jurgen Habermas

2

• Social realm where public opinion can be formed
• Access guaranteed to all citizens
• Neither private business nor state bueacracy
• Newspapers, magazines, radio, television media
  of the public sphere
• Public opinion criticism and control of state
  by body of citizens
• Public sphere mediates between society and state,
  transmits power private to state

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• Concept arose w/ bourgeois in 18th c
• Presupposes reasoning public
• Grew w/ separation of nation/people from
  ruler/church
• Developing economy, private life beyond domestic
• Public sphere is made of private individuals
  assembled into a public body
• Newspaper transformed from selling news to
  influencing opinion, political weapon

4

• Commerce, mass media public sphere influenced
  by private interests, money
• w/ permanent legalization of public sphere, media
  could become business
• Expansion of public sphere beyond bourgeois no
  longer uniform opinions, but competing demands
• Not public consensus but compromise of
  conflicting private interests field of
  competition leads to refeudalization of
  public sphere

5

• Large oranizations try to exclude public, deal
  directly w/state while maintaining display of
  openness
• Public relations work constructed relation not
  subject to public reason
• publicity not judgement of public opinion
• Public communication only accessible through
  cannels, by organized private individuals
• Preserving public sphere only possible under
  mutual control of rival organizations committed
  to public idea