Public Discussion in Media as a Complex of Risks and Possibilities

This chapter argues that the main characteristics of public discussion in media are both its potential and its risks: the endurance of the democratic society is conditioned by the members of the public sphere forming views, learning, and having dialogue in public discussions. At the same time, public discussion as public cannot be controlled by any sole operator, which means that it always involves the risk of spreading false information, problematic views, or problematic attitudes. For the endurance of public discussion, we do not need to agree on all facts, but intentionally disrupting the genuine discussion by spreading false or careless information is problematic. Therefore, public discussion in media is crucial for democracy, but it also enables post-truth phenomena.