The dangers to liberal democracy by democratizing the fourth estate

Bachelor Thesis , 2020 , 48 Pages , Grade: 1,0

Communications - Media and Politics, Politic Communications

Democracy´s core value simultaneously challenges it.

Including the pluralist views and opinions of democracy´s diverse citizenry in political decisions is as much of a challenge as it is to consider even the views that oppose democracy. Modern democracies face this challenge more than ever as autocratic politicians all over the world gain power. With the upcoming US election, the implementation of the last still echoes. Donald Trump had gained the highest office in the country through manipulation. The manipulation continues as the President of the United States still publishes false claims unrestrictedly on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

While specifically producing Fake News to threaten liberal democracy is a danger itself, this thesis focuses on the development that enables it. The development is the democratization of the fourth estate, which describes the rise of social media platforms. As they have turned out to be preeminent news providers to their users, due to their structural properties, they impose threats to liberal democracies. While it seems paradoxical that a process of democratization threatens liberal democracy, the danger is rooted in the fundamental paradox within itself.

In order to break down the complexity of this topic, the thesis is structured into three main chapters. The first chapter offers an overview of liberalism and democracy, both of which constitute the modern concept of liberal democracy. It also highlights the paradox within liberal democracy as it presents the root of the dangers. The second chapter thematizes the fourth estate and the modern development it underwent. Furthermore, it exemplifies the problem of this process based on the paradox of liberal democracy. The last chapter specifically analyzes the danger enabled through social media platforms by categorizing them into internal and external threats.

This thesis provides examples for the execution of specific laws, rights, and events in various countries and is not limited to a particular region in order to elaborate on the democratization of the fourth estate in a broader context.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The paradox of liberal democracy
  • Democracy without liberalism
  • Liberalism without democracy
  • Liberal democracy and its paradox
• The problem of the democratization of the fourth estate within liberal democracy
  • The fourth estate within liberal democracy
    • Functions
    • Freedom of the press
  • The democratization of the fourth estate
  • The problem
    • The lack of liberal rules
    • The risk of censorship
• The dangers to liberal democracy imposed by the democratization of the fourth estate
  • The internal threat
  • The external threat

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines the dangers to liberal democracy that result from the process of democratizing the fourth estate. The paper argues that the democratization of the fourth estate, while rooted in the modern liberal democratic understanding, poses a problem. The fourth estate is an institution of liberal democracy, so the concepts of liberalism and democracy are thoroughly explained.

• The paradoxical nature of liberal democracy
• The role of the fourth estate within liberal democracy
• The democratization of the fourth estate and its implications
• The dangers to liberal democracy posed by the democratization of the fourth estate
• The case of Cambridge Analytica as an example of these dangers

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The first chapter introduces the topic and presents the argument of the thesis.
• The second chapter explores the concept of liberal democracy and its inherent paradoxes, examining the tension between the ideals of democracy and liberalism.
• The third chapter examines the role of the fourth estate within liberal democracy, focusing on its functions, the principle of freedom of the press, and the challenges posed by the democratization of the fourth estate.
• The fourth chapter analyzes the dangers to liberal democracy arising from the democratization of the fourth estate, focusing on both internal and external threats.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis explores the intersection of liberal democracy, the fourth estate, and the democratization process. Key terms and concepts include liberal democracy, the paradox of liberal democracy, freedom of the press, the fourth estate, democratization, social media, censorship, and the dangers posed by the democratization of the fourth estate to liberal democracy. The thesis draws on key figures such as Huntington and examines the case of Cambridge Analytica to illustrate these concepts.

• College: University of Education
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Ekaterini Poulidou (Author)
• Publication Year: 2020
• Pages: 48
• Catalog Number: V888950
• ISBN (eBook): 9783346189042
• ISBN (Book): 9783346189059
• Language: English
• Tags: vierte Gewalt, social media, soziale Medien, threats, liberalism, Liberalismus, Demokratie, democracy, liberale Demokratie, zensur, Meinungsfreiheit, Pressefreiheit, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, liberal democracy, gefahren, illiberal democracy, undemocratic liberalism, democratization of the fourth estate, fifth estate, intermediation, disintermediation, Fake News, Facebook, cambridge analytica