Risiken und Nebenwirkungen des Internets für die politische Kommunikation

Abstract

This short essay observes some general trends concerning the internet’s impact on political communication – based around notions of what we might expect from the citizens, media and political actors in a democratic society. It focuses on three central ques- tions: 1) What kind of significance did the internet gain over recent years? 2) What kind of changes will current trends in communication carry for political cognition? 3) What sort of modification will the culture of communication experience? The essay argues in favor for a hard-nosed view on recent developments that concentrates on the functions of jour- nalism and intermediate institutions, rather than normative expectations regarding a „new public sphere“.