Philip Schlesinger

In an increasingly fragmented post-public sphere, communicative space is continually being reconstituted in response to developments in digital technologies. The increasing incapacity of political communication both to address and engender trust in general publics is a problem for the future of democratic states. One response to the polarization of political discourse in democracies is intensified official interest in regulation of digital platforms —now a prominent media and communications policy focus. Given intense global geopolitical competition, such regulation is increasingly being shaped by wide-ranging doctrines of national security. As with earlier forms of rule-making for media and communications, but under highly complex conditions, efforts to tame the digital are seeking to achieve cultural, political, social, and economic ordering. This project reflects on the regulatory turn and considers its efficacy for the defense of democracy.