Abstract
According to Jurgen Habermas, a public sphere is a site where individuals come together to freely and openly express their opinions regarding matters of common interest. Informed by Habermas' discussion, the author investigated the social farms generated in computer-mediated communication and examined whether the social structures in cyberspace are conducive to the formation of a public sphere. Communication among the members of three Internet newsgroups were examined to locate the formal features of the social relationships constructed in this cyberspace. The conclusion is that while a public sphere may be possible, cyberspace often falls short of fulfilling its potential for being a public sphere due to competing technological properties.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
33
Issue
2
First Page
71
Last Page
91
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Johns, Mark D.
(2001)
"Public Sphere in Cyberspace?,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 33:
No.
2, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol33/iss2/8
Copyright
©2001 Iowa Communication Association
