Jrgen Habermas put forward the idea of the public sphere as central to a democracy. However, Habermas also stated that public spheres should not be corrupted by commercial interests. Today, online platforms like Facebook and Twitter are often used as tools for organizing and mobilizing publics (including solidarity and protest movements). Discuss if such platforms status as neoliberal enterprises and their approaches towards data mining and profit are fundamentally opposed to the ethos of the public sphere. Do the potentials of organizing public opinion online outweigh the risks? Provide concrete examples, references to the course literature including but not limited to Module 3, and build up a rationale to present your case.
Type your answers in Times New Roman or Arial 12-point font, double space formatting. Have a read through the sources and select the necessary information to support your case you do not need to use all of it.
Sources (online videos)
Facebook https://vimeo.com/45410957
https://www.diggitmagazine.com/papers/political-gif-never-ending-loop-presidential-races
