MIDTERM EXAMINATION

IN

COMMUNICATION CULTURE & SOCIETY

(MAJOR REQUIREMENTS)

DS DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

"HOW THE GOVERNMENT AFFECTS PRESS MEDIA IN SHAPING PUBLIC SPHERE’S PUBLIC OPINION"

SUBMITTED TO:

DIANE ROSALES

STUDENT

SUBMITTED BY

JUNIVER P. DELORINO
 I. INTRODUCTION

Last May 2023, we celebrated the World Press Freedom in which as a democratic

country like ours has continued threat for press media and its content of authenticity. It was

said that President Bong Bong’s leadership affected the media since its relation to his former

father dictator. Sadly, while the media is serving as a platform for people to learn the truth, it

became targeted by those in positions of authority. And it had detrimental impacts on

journalism since the public becomes devoid of essential information that could influence public

opinion.

In this paper, I will show how Jurgen Habermas’ concept of public sphere and how it shapes

public opinion where a fundamental tenet of public life in a democracy like the in the United

States, participation is open to all from debates, elections, and conversations that determine

who shall rule. In addition to its great effects of urging an individual confidence to speak out

one’s voice through their formed groups, other varying effects of misinformation at present

through Government’s power in leading the public sphere’s opinion through the media most

specifically in the Philippines.

II. BODY
 If an individual, who is not part of non-governmental organization struggles to voice out

their opinion and ideas, an involvement of a group in an informal situation is at present. This

compelling concept of equal involvement in political life is based on the notion that there is

something known as the public sphere, as defined by German sociologist Jurgen Habermas

(Habermas [1962] 1989). Habermas contends that private individuals are participating in

essential democratic activities when they gather in groups (wherever that may be) to discuss

issues of broad interest. The emphasis on political involvement as the foundation of a

democratic society and as a crucial component in personal growth was linked to Habermas'

focus on democratization. Published in 1962, his book The Structural Transformation of the

Public Sphere contrasted various manifestations of an active, participatory bourgeois public

sphere in the heroic era of liberal democracy with more privatized manifestations of spectator

politics in a bureaucratic industrial society where the media and elites regulated the public

sphere. Habermas contends that when ordinary people gather in groups (wherever that may be)

to discuss they are participating in crucial activities for democratic life in matters of general

interest. In a perfect public sphere, a great place for people putting their own interests, wealth,

and status aside, and convene on an equal footing to jointly discuss and create ideas about how

to run society as a whole. In addition, people impact only stems from how strong and valuable

their ideas are that is powerful for people who struggles to voice out that thinks they may not

be heard of because of their societal status.

The Beginning of the Public Sphere

 In Europe during the eighteenth century, the public sphere it concentrated in a variety of

establishments like publications, bars, social clubs, and coffee shops when it first began to arise.

Shops—basically, any place where people could congregate and talk about the day's news. In an

era of absolute monarchies, the idea of the public sphere, which offered citizens a way to

criticize and affect the government, was novel. The public sphere is where various social groups

organize to become political actors and to contend for influence in contemporary welfare states

like the United States. Protesters like the Tea Party or Occupy movements, and advocacy

organizations like the AARP or the National Rifle Association are two examples of the types of

organizations that are well-known in today's public sphere. They attempt to sway public opinion

by producing ideas, such as in newspapers, on television, and through advertising, as one of

their key strategies for competing. The public sphere continues to be organized online,

particularly through social media, in modern societies like the United States.

For a struggling country fighting for its press freedom, the concept of a public sphere is a

great space for normal people like us. But just like any good thing that is present, it has always

its inevitable downsides. In the digital age, the debate over the public sphere has

simultaneously grown more pertinent and more troublesome. Habermas' concept of the public

sphere and his idea of a critical publicity are still very important for media theory in the present

day despite the validity and relevance of post-modern critique to them. One could even argue

that the public realm is in danger of being extinct because of the drastic changes it is

undergoing. Coffeehouse conversation has been replaced by computer-mediated

communication, and substantial dangers to information freedom and free expression on the
Internet come from concerns like media ownership and commercialization. But arguably, change

is constant as the same goes with the media. Habermas is correct that during the democratic

revolutions a public sphere arose in which ordinary citizens could engage in political discussion

and debate, organize, and fight towards injustice while fighting for social change. This sphere

was established, albeit imperfectly, in later developments of Western societies. This is true

despite the limitations of his analysis. Despite its flaws, Habermas' analysis of the structural

transformation of the public sphere also highlights the growing significance of the media in

politics and daily life as well as the ways that corporate interests have colonized this space by

employing the media and culture to advance their own agendas.

Public Sphere in the Philippines

Since the Barangay Elections is coming, let us take a look at how the politicians affects

public sphere in shaping their opinions and ideas. Looking back at May 2022 Presidential

elections which shocked the world as how the son of the dictator won the election despite its

history with the martial law. Many had their own theories and guesses if its freewill or fraud but

this is how these politicians take control of the media to affect the public.

The expansion of the media sources specifically the internet opens up new public places for

political involvement and broadens the scope of democratic discourse and participation. The

case is that new public spheres and places for information, debate, and participation, first

created by broadcast media like radio and television, and now by computers, contain both the

potential to strengthen democracy and increase the dissemination of critical and progressive
viewpoints, as well as new opportunities for manipulation, social control, the promotion of

conservative positions, and the escalation of differences between the haves and have-nots.

In the Philippines, Filipinos create their public sphere through their general interests through

informal meetings like malls, court, halls, parks, kaininan/carenderias to share knowledge and

opinions as part of non-governmental organization. There is also a networked public or online

public sphere which targets teenagers and those who mainly uses social networking sites like

Facebook. And this enters the political figures trying to control the mainstream media, including

newspapers and broadcast networks that were either state-owned or belonged to powerful

corporations and businessmen and promoted their agendas and interests to impart their side to

affect the public sphere’s opinion.

Among the few that kept going were the government-owned media outlets and the crony media

(those owned by President Marcos' allies and supporters). The control of the media was

another classic example of how media ownership shapes content and the public’s opinion. With

censored media, removed of all difference and creativity, there was little interesting the news,

no check to government abuse and graft, and there was heavy media regulation with the

Philippine Council for Press Media (formerly the Mass Media Council, and the Media Advisory

Council) (Ables, 2001). There was only one message, which was to represent the Bagong

Lipunan and advance and safeguard the interests of the Marcos regime.

Although according to Habermas' theory explaining that the media and public sphere serves

only primarily as a forum for discourse rather than as a place where politics are organized,

fought over, or transformed, I believe as fast pace changing world, media became the
predominant model that is used in providing foundation for an interactive democratic

communication politics and how governmental people can control it just as seen above.

III. CONCLUSION

Looking above, we have seen how those from above can control the media to shape an

individual’s opinion. Arguably, we can say that media is not only the source one can get an

information but also with communicating with people or the public sphere they are into to

express their views and ideas from their different and variety of experiences. But taking it aside,

the media is considered to be significant forces in society because they are so audible and

visible. Even if one refuses to take what the media tells, still the media function as a cultural

system according to media scholar Michael Schudson. As it provides context for understanding

global events and fostering both public dialogue and sense of community. Regardless of what

our views may be on a particular issue, we are more likely to treat it as a significant event if we

hear about it in the news.Let us remind ourselves that there is no such thing as a bad press like

what the public relations professional says, as the media amplifies only problems and gives
them public legitimacy. What we have in power is to do for a student like me in development

communication who studies culture and communication for development is to fight for our

press freedom or whomever you are and begin exposing the truth about what is happening in

order to expose the lies of the ruling party especially with the talks of election coming up. Thus,

we will be able to choose the most qualified candidates to represent them and uphold our

constitution because they will have a better understanding of the motivations of the politicians.

To achieve effective governance, one must be an effective citizen, awake and researcher of the

truth.

REFERENCES:

Ables, H. A. (2003). Mass communication and Philippine society. Diliman, Quezon City:University

of the Philippines Press.

Cabico, G. K. (2023, May 4). Philippines improves in press freedom index but still a “difficult”

country for journalists. Philstar.com.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/05/04/2263748/philippines-improves-press-

freedom-index-still-difficult-country-journalists

Habermas, Jürgen. 1962. Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit: Untersuchungen zu einer Kategorie

der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

Habermas, Jürgen. [1962] 1989. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry
into a Category of Bourgeois Society, translated by Thomas Burger with the assistance of
Frederick Lawrence. Cambridge: Polity Press