Communications Technology and the Public Sphere. READING Habermas: The Public Sphere: An...
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Transcript of Communications Technology and the Public Sphere. READING Habermas: The Public Sphere: An...
Communications Technology
and the
Public Sphere
READING
Habermas:“The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article” (1964)
Enzensberger:“Constituents of a Theory of the Media” (1970)
writingprintingliteracy
newspapersphotography
telegraphfilm
radiotv
computinginternet/web
read-write web
properties of media
hand-copied manuscript
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Escribano.jpg
hand-copied manuscript
high cost
precious
takes a long time to create
may be altered or amended in the copying process
moveable type
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Metal_movable_type.jpg
moveable type
lower cost
more copies
less precious – more access
more likely to circulate
quicker to create
moveable type
“Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one.”
motion pictures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FilmCrew.jpg
motion pictures
high expense
one program - many viewers
seats and screen
immobile audience
motion pictures
“turn off cell phones and refrain from conversation”
one-to-many communication:school, church, movie house
Video
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Videojournalist.jpg
video
cheaper
faster
can be real-time
television
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Family_watching_television_1958.jpg
televisionin the home
...or bar, waiting room, airport
broadcast televisionlimited channels
cable televisionmany channels – few owners
television
a vast wasteland?
(1961 speech by FCC Chair Newton Minow)
1984 Mac Ad
Jurgen Habermas – b. 1929
Frankfurt School(Adorno, Horkheimer, Benjamin)
The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere pub. 1962
(English translation 1989)
“The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article”(1964)
“Citizens behave as a public body when they
confer in an unrestricted fashion – that is, with the
guarantee of freedom of assembly and association and
the freedom to express and publish their opinions -
about matters of general interest.”
KEY TERMS:
public sphere
civil society
communicative action
Fourth Estate (the press)clergy
nobilitybourgeoisie/commoners
press
where ... public opinion... can be formedestablishing societal norms
Hans Magnus Enzensbergerb 1929
“Constituents of a Theory of the Media” (1970)