COMS 230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Girondins

• School: McGill University
• Department: Communication Studies
• Course: COMS 230
• Professor: Cayley Sorochan

Document Summary

Spread of democracy around the world, celebration. Barbrook points out a fundamental paradox that guides his thoughts on media freedom: The content of the parade is celebrating these values, but the form of the parade doesn"t follow (lack of participation by actual citizens) Paradox between spread of democracy and reduced participation. As more people are added into the process there is more inclusivity, but the ability for each individual to have a signi cant impact reduces. Particular conception of democratic participation & ideal public sphere. Bourgeois + literate + reading public (exclusive and small sphere at the time) Face to face discussion is still going on. About shared collective concerns of a political nature: through rational, reasonable, critical discussion. Barbrook idealizes this model, but recognizes that the material basis for the public sphere was very limited only to certain people. First step towards a positive conception of participation with the press.