The Internet as public sphere or culture industry? From pessimism to hope and back

The vision of communication systems supporting public sphere(s) of discursive contestation has in recent times been embraced by many critical theorists as the ideal democratic role for the media. However, there has also been much pessimism about the realization of this vision. This pessimism extends from ‘big brother’ fears to hyperrealist scenarios - from the development of a global surveillance society to the implosion of reality in an electronically generated and sustained system of pure fabrication.