How have new media enabled a renewal of the public sphere and extension of democratic processes?

'Mass communication has existed for little more than the average person's lifespan, and yet in that short time we have moved from what now seems the most basic form of radio communication.... to the apparent sophistication of digital broadcasting' (Street, 2001:163). We have yet to experience the entire consequences of these latest developments, but we can be sure that in the near future people will look at our new system of communication as being as primitive …

…Media: An Introduction' Oxford University Press, Australia. Golding.P, & Murdock.G, (1992) "Culture, Communications, and Political Economy", in Curren.J, & Gurevitch.M, (eds) Mass Media and Society, Edward Arnold, London. Negt. O & Kluge. A, (1998) 'The Public Sphere and Experience (Selections)' October, vol. 46 pp.61-82 Rheingold, H (1993) 'The Virtual Community', Addison-Wesley, Canada. Street. J, (2001) 'Mass Media, Politics and Democracy', Palgrave, New York Thussu, K, (2000) 'International Communication', Lexington Books, New York.