<b>European Public Sphere| Toward a European Public Sphere? The Promise and Perils of Modern Democracy in the Age of Digital and Social Media — Introduction</b>

Authors

  • Homero Gil de Zúñiga University of Vienna Universidad Diego Portales, Chile

Keywords:

public sphere, democracy, political participation, ICTs, digital media, social media

Abstract

This article first surveys current research within the context of the public sphere, particularly in Europe. Then, the article seeks to examine theoretical and empirical mechanisms by which information and communication technologies (ICTs) may contribute to seeding that public sphere. Finally, and more specifically, it establishes a conciliatory argument between the proliferation and sustainability of a public sphere by means of citizens’ use of digital and social media. The study concludes by advocating for a more contemporaneous understanding of what a public sphere is, and how digital and social media, under certain circumstances, may elicit an inclusive, discursive, and deliberative path to political participation.

Author Biography

Homero Gil de Zúñiga, University of Vienna Universidad Diego Portales, Chile

Director, Media Innovation Lab

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Published

2015-10-15

Issue

Vol. 9 (2015)

Section

Special Sections

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