Democracy and the Public Sphere - by Hans-Jörg Trenz (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From fake news to infringement of privacy in digital spheres, the changing landscapes of media and public communication have completely transformed contemporary democracies in recent decades.

Disruptions of media functioning can be seen as evidence for a transition from democracy to post-democracy, but how plausible is this scenario? Using empirical evidence, the author asks how imminent the threat of the end of democracy is, and how it can be restored.

Exploring the creative and destructive ways individuals and groups make use of new digital and social media in democratic societies across the world, the book presents a much-needed critical theory of the public sphere as we enter the new digital age.

Review Quotes

"By a scholar with the rare gift of creatively handling both theorizations of the public sphere and empirical investigations of future, current or historical developments in democracy studies, this very readable and enlightening work is a must-read for intellectually and politically curious readers." Jostein Gripsrud, University of Bergen

About the Author

Hans-Jörg Trenz is Professor of Sociology of Culture and Communication at Scuola Normale Superiore in Italy.