The Public Foam

Are we at the brink of a radical shift in societal structure? In the twentieth century, what Habermas coined the bourgeois public sphere was replaced by a new body– a public sphere characterized by mass media. Today we witness the onset of new opportunities afforded by the internet and increased networking. I predict that the emergence of what Benkler calls the "networked public sphere" will be indicative of evolution, rather than revolution. In essence, the highly orderly public sphere typified by mass media will be transformed into semi-ordered foam; this new order will retain many qualities of the old.

Benkler describes the public sphere dominated by mass media in terms of the centralized and somewhat authoritarian hub and spoke model. Here information moves in primarily one direction: from the center to the rim. Given the nature of the hub and spoke model, it makes sense to describe the recipients of news as the "public sphere." The word "sphere" conveys the correct topological context in which Benkler views mass media in the hub and spoke model. The uniformity and symmetry of a sphere implies in some sense a uniform and homogenous community. By its very nature, mass media is orientated towards this type of society. The sphere’s shape also connotes a highly centralized structure. Because the internet and networking provide a forum in which almost any individual can express matters of public concern, there is no longer such a structure. At the same time, human nature prevents the complete dissolution of the hub and spoke model. The result is a foam-like structure that is still somewhat uniform in nature, but lacks an intrinsic direction for information flow. What we have is an amalgam of what Benkler calls the decentralized "networked public sphere" and the centralized "mass media public sphere."

The innate human desire for a sense of security provided by centralization and authority will prevent the decentralized grid structure of an idealized "network public sphere" from completely supplanting the hub and spoke model. For this reason, I do not believe that the twenty first century will witness the collapse of professionally produced forms of media such as television, newspapers (at least the online versions), and films in the traditional sense. In the future it is very possible that amateurs will find themselves able to work easily with such forms of media; however, there will always be a desire for the "professional" or "authoritative" voice. This desire is often implicitly expressed in the way that people attain information. For example, although a person might read blogs frequently, the information from such a source is always considered with skepticism. The reader looks for a "reputable" (or rather authoritative) source such as BBC that can confirm what has been read. The desire for centralization can be seen in the way society currently organizes information. Examples include sites such as Google, Digg, and other aggregators. People seek the existence of an "all-knowing" oracle; such an existence provides a sense of security.

Networking greatly increases the number of available sources of content. With more available sources, there will be sources of highly interesting information that target smaller groups of people. Hence, everyone will no longer receive the same information and news; instead, people find a "niche" that interests them. This does not mean that society will be completely stratified. In fact, increased globalization makes it more difficult for someone to seclude himself or herself in a niche. Afterall, a motivating factor for reading news is to be able to converse with other people in the community; thus, there must exist some overarching news that concerns all of society. News that would be relevant to an entire country includes presidential elections, war, and issues in world politics such as nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea. The emerging "public foam" embraces the various qualities of the evolving public sphere. There is a sense of homogeny, but yet a sense of freedom to choose what constitutes important content; there is a sense of decentralization, but yet a sense of structure.