Journalistik som en hermeneutisk og dekonstruktiv intervention i den distribuerede offentlighed

Abstract

Internettet har sat nye betingelser for den demokratiske offentlighed. Den journalistiske praksis er født ind i nogle opgaver, der opstod sammen med massemediernes fremkomst. I takt med at de traditionelle massemedier (tryk, radio, tv) afløses af internetmedier, rejser spørgsmålet sig, om vi stadig har brug for journalistikken. Jeg vil argumentere for, at der i forhold til idealer om en deliberativ offentlighed ligger tre overordnede journalistiske opgaver: (a) traditionelle opgaver som formidling, efterforskning og kritik; (b) moderation af dialoger (sikre en passende diversitet mellem de talende); (c) moderation af tavshed (give stemme til de tavse interesser i samfundet).

The fourth estate operating by means of silencing

“…It has, however, become even more pertinent today because of the prevalence of numerous alternative sources to information in public spheres. Traditionally, journalism emerged in a technological setting in which frequent distribution of information through gradually evolving mass media technologies was fragile (Bro 2009;Hansen 2015a). In current media settings it makes sense to argue that information overload is just as threatening to the quality of public exchanges as is the lack of information that was traditionally the challenge.…”

“…The new configuration of the communication sphere calls for reflections on whether or not the journalistic profession still deserves to be understood within the ideals of the Fourth Estate, and in doing this it is certainly important to bring out what is of democratic value in the journalistic practices. We have previously contributed to such reflections in various ways (Hansen 2013(Hansen , 2014(Hansen , 2015a(Hansen , 2015b(Hansen , 2018a(Hansen , 2018b(Hansen , 2018c(Hansen , 2021a). In the current paper, deepening our claims, we will argue that if we are to assess the value of journalism as democratically educative, critically enlightening or merely informative, we cannot focus solely on the products of journalists.…”

The Fourth Estate: The construction and place of silence in the public sphere

“…One of the larger changes wrought by the Internet is that information – even rather technical scientific information – is communicated in many venues. Instead, journalistic self-understanding should coalesce around communicating inaccessible information in an accessible way without making it seem that this information is inviolable to debate and objection (Hansen 2015). Similarly, it is also increasingly important for the media to recognize that it has a task of facilitating the public dialogue , which is also in need of help so it can become democratically fruitful (Bro 2008; Hansen 2011, 2013, 2015).…”

“…From a deliberative perspective, it is often seen as important to uncover silence, so that we can articulate and counteract hegemonic structures in the public discourse whereby silent voices can be heard in the public sphere. In addition, we have argued that it must be a media professional (journalistic) task to give those who have been locked out of the media a voice in the public spheres, even if that means dismantling certain forms of rhetorical ‘seriousness’ and expanding our sense of what it is permissible to articulate (Hansen 2015). 7…”

“…After inauguration, he continues to communicate both to the American people and political adversaries on Twitter. 4 From a deliberative perspective (Hansen 2013(Hansen , 2014(Hansen , 2015, this does not fulfil the complete criteria for successful democratic communication. But it does entail that traditional Fourth Estate media no longer constitute sole communication link between citizens and those in power (Eldridge 2017).…”