The public sphere according to Habermas is “a realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed” and “access is guaranteed to all citizens”. The sphere is an area in social life where people can get together and “freely discuss and identify societal problems” and through that discussion “influence political action”. As Habermas puts it, it is a “discursive space in which individuals and groups congregate to discuss matters of mutual interest and where possible to teach a common judgement”. Usually the public sphere is seen as “a theater in modern societies” or a sphere of spoken words however there are public spheres that are formed through written word as well. We can find this especially on the internet and an example is the Daily Kos at http://www.dailykos.com/. This website is aimed at political issues and thoughts. Any one can participate in the discussions by creating an account. The information presented is not just opinion but includes a lot of information and facts through discussions, diaries, and comments. I do not know if the website takes down any comments or threads that they do not agree with. If that is the case then it is more of the sphere of public authority. The site shows a lot of ads which makes me think that is run under some type of authority or institution which will not allow anything someone wants to say, be said.
The page’s motto I believe is “The State of the Nation” which indicates people can get information of where our nation is politically at the moment. Currently there are 2.5 million visitors per month to the site and 215,000 registered users. Clearly the large number shows that is not a private sphere where it is “comprised civil society in the narrower sense, that is to say, the realm of commodity exchange and of social labor.” Not only are the underclass and middle class citizens of America writing on this site but also “on the site are President Jimmy Carter, Senator Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and dozens of other senators, congressmen, and governors” who talk about what they are doing. By having people in politics writing on this website it creates more of a public sphere which mediates between the “private sphere” and the “sphere of public authority”.
Anyone can comment on the website if they have an account however there is a set group of writers and editors. However I do believe this is a public sphere even though it has limitations. It can influence political action since politics use this website and in the influence is mentioned under the “About Daily Kos” section which states “Even more exciting than that however, are the hundreds of thousands of regular Americans that have used Daily Kos to shape a political world once the exclusive domain of the rich, connected, and powerful.”
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