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.