The new public sphere

The internet as we know it is only a recent development which is set to continue expanding. It provides users with a useful tool to obtain and disseminate information and ideas to people from all over the world without the costs that would otherwise be acquired if this were done by traditional means.

As the internet has continued to flourish it has become the domain where all members of the public are able to interact with both the people they already know and with people they will never know. Developments such as listervs (automated mailing lists), online forums and bulletin boards have played a major role in this. Gone are the days where people must congregate in a physical space in order to communicate with others. Although the internet will never replace physical space, it has opened the door to a new form of the public sphere. That is cyberspace.

Articles relating to this topic:

McChesney, Robert W., Russell Newman and Ben Scott. The Future of Media: Resistance and reform in the twenty-first century. 2005. New York: Seven Stories Press.

Phillips, Gail and Mia Lindgren. Australian Broadcast Journalism (second edition). 2006.

Poster, Mark. CyberDemocracy: Internet and the Public Sphere. 1995. University of California.