Theory of the public sphere and its application in media research.

Straipsnio tikslas - pristatyti pagrindinius viešosios sferos teorijos teiginius, išnagrinėti jos taikymo galimybes ir būdus žiniasklaidos tyrimuose bei Lietuvos laikraščių tyrimui nepriklausomybės atkūrimo metu ir vėliau. Straipsnyje nagrinėjama viešosios sferos teorija kaip teorinis pagrindas Lietuvos laikraščių raidos nuo 1988 metų tyrimui. Akivaizdu, kad nepriklausomybės atkūrimo metu, nuo 1988 metų iki 1991 m. pabaigos, spauda išgyveno pakilimo laikotarpį. Smarkiai išaugo laikraščių skaičius ir tiražai, spaudoje vyko intensyvios diskusijos visuomenei reikšmingomis temomis. Nepriklausomybės įtvirtinimo etape, maždaug nuo 1991 metų pabaigos, periodinės spaudos pobūdis keitėsi. Sumažėjo laikraščių skaitymas, nuslūgo diskusijos, spaudoje reiškėsi komercializacijos ir koncentracijos tendencijos. Šiems ir vėlesnių metų pokyčiams aprašyti gerai tinka viešosios sferos sąvoka ir viešosios sferos teorija.The puropose of this article is to introduce basic propositions of the public sphere, and to analyze the possibilities and means the public sphere may be applied within media research as well as to Lithuania's newspaper research during and after Lithuania’s restoration of its independence. The theory of the public sphere is examined and used as a theoretical backbone within the article. When Lithuania reaffirmed its independence (1988–late 1991), the country's press quite obvioulsy survived a period of upheavel. The number of newspapers and their circulations skyrocketed, and an intense discussion took place, a discussion whose topics were of great concern to society. During the period Lithuania solidified its independence (more or less since the end of 1991), the press's character has changed. The reading public has diminished, dicussions have abated while the press has been portraying tendencies associated with commercialization and saturation. The concept and theory of the public sphere are therefore very appropriate when describing those changes noted above as well those that were to occur later. The concept of the public sphere, especially in the German language, has a rather long history. However, when analyzing its use in contempory sociological theory, particualarly when applying it to media analysis, it is agreed that research generally began with Jürgen Habermas and his work, "The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere", (Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit, 1962; new edition, 1990.) Utilizing the concept of the public sphere as a basis for media research, its empirical application is a tremendous problem: until now, there is hardly any information which would empirically examine the public sphere. More specifically, it goes unsaid that a great deal of research has analyzed different narrow apsects of the media as well as public discourse, both of which comply to the field of the public sphere (e.g. the discourse of separate topics, narrower theoretical views such as schedule construction, etc.). Nevertheless, there is a lack of research which would determine the essential features of the public sphere and would thereby empirically investigate the public sphere as such. Consequently, the author is of the belief that a means is in need of being found in order to apply the theory of the public sphere. It would first and foremost decribe the public sphere and its essential, central concepts, allowing one to investigate the public sphere itself - and not simply a single apsect of a discourse within the public sphere. Secondly, it would describe the public sphere in specific terms which when used in empirical research would comply with its concepts. The content in the article is supported by the analytical public sphere model formulated by Friedhelm Neidhardt (1994). F. Neidhardt distinguished four aspects of the public sphere: the arena of the public sphere (the phyiscal and symbolic spaces in which participants of the public sphere meet), the media, the public, and the speakers. In this article, F. Neidhardt’s applied list is modified: media shall be incorporated within the arena of the public sphere - as the media is only one of the spaces of the public sphere, though indeed an important one. Hence, according to this model three public sphere structural elements are distinguished, each of which truly normative requirements are applicable: arena of the open sphere, or channels, actors, the public. [...] In the attempt to convey the directions of public sphere theory as applied to the development of Lithuanian newspapers, some features of Lithuanian newspapers are presented according to their abstract research dimensions. In Lithuania, during the post-communist years of transformation (i.e. Lithuanian’s reaffirmation of its independence and afterwards) the public sphere developed anew - the space where topics of importance to society are communicated. As Lithuania reasserted its independence (i.e. from 1988 onwards), the character of the country's public sphere began to change: expressions from governing and alternative public spheres began to take form as a new inclusive - though like before, uncontrollable - public sphere, which nevertheless, retained its functions. It is possible to apply this phenomenon, namely the development of Lithuanian newspapers during Lithuania's struggle for independence (1988-1991) as well as the time period which followed (as Lithuania consolidated its independence) to research of the public sphere and its normative model model. During the years Lithuania reaffirmed its independence, newspapers conformed more to the normative requirements of the public sphere than the period that was to follow. Thus, the theory of the public sphere offers a new viewpoint to media studies which when used in empirical media research may be quite productive. The normative model of the public sphere, especially its analytical portion, may convey new - until now unresearched - aspects of the development of Lithuanian newspapers from 1988 into the 1990s when Lithuania solidified its independence