Invading the public sphere: media, private discourse and the public space in Kenya
Abstract
Privatization and liberalization of the media, both print and electronic, has revolutionized
information processing and dissemination. This has been further aided by continued advances in
technology, especially the internet. While this has led to access to more information, and more
citizen participation in governance and management of public affairs, which are significant
ingredients in development, it has come with other effects. In the current global context, the
transformed media is opening the populace to outside influences, and the more it grows the more
difficult it becomes to control its content. This paper discusses this phenomenon by analyzing the
way recent advances in the media are shaping and changing the conceptualization of the public
sphere and its management in Kenya. It further shows the role of the media in redefining the
boundaries of the public sphere. It attempts to answer the question of whether the media, through
their programmes, are aiding private discourse in its invasion of the public space. To what extent
does this fit within the wider cross-border interaction leading to the development of more global
public spheres? It also seeks to establish what the new perception of the public sphere portends
for Africa, especially the extent to which it can be seized and utilized as a stage for enhancing the
democratization and development process for the common good.
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