Abstract
In the developed world’s age of ‘communicative abundance’ (Keane 1997, 2002), where technologies are increasingly sophisticated and their spatial and temporal reach through multiple channels extensive, the opportunity to communicate with others is certainly made easier.1 What communicative abundance can enable, as a result, is for diverse, sometimes harmonising, but also frequently discordant texts and voices to be represented and to engage in discussion. These texts collectively challenge the idea of a singular or universal text of truth, reason and propriety. As a result, argues John Keane, communicative abundance has the potential to enhance the democratic project, given that it encourages us to acknowledge the world’s complexity, to accept diversity, and to develop the capacity to make informed public judgements (Keane 1997, p. 7).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Keane, however, is all too aware of the other side of this story: ‘it is common knowledge that three-quarters of the world’s population (now totalling 6 billion) are too poor to buy a book; that a majority have never made a phone call in their lives; and that only 5 per cent currently have access to the Internet’ (Keane 2003, p. 140).
Tim Jordan teases out Jaron Lanier’s now often rehearsed statement that ‘information is alienated experience’ (Jordan 1999, pp. 194ff.).
See, for example, Coleman and Gotze (2001); Griffiths (2002); Hacker and van Dijk (2000); Kamarck and Nye (2002); OECD (2003a); OECD (2001); Maarek and Wolfsfeld (2003); Tsagarousianou et al. (1998).
Thomas Meyer refers to this naturalising process as ‘the main theatrical strategy of the politics of image’. In a discussion of image-making in mediated politics, he argues that ‘the images that are supposed to make good the candidates’ claims to personify desired qualities, and so enhance their credibility, allegedly come from “natural” situations that have not been contrived for public effect’ (Meyer 2002, p. 69).
Copyright information
© 2005 Anne Surma
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Surma, A. (2005). Public Information: Up for Debate or Up for Sale? Writing via the Internet. In: Public and Professional Writing. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230513891_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230513891_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-1582-5
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-51389-1
eBook Packages: Palgrave Language & Linguistics CollectionEducation (R0)