Enthusiasts for the internet have argued that the medium will usher in a new era of ‘direct democracy’ through cyberactivists. Does the internet—with the advent of citizen journalism, the challenges to traditional press business models and fragmentation of readerships— mean the end of ‘quality’ journalism and its function as a fourth estate, or does it promise to rehabilitate journalism and the public sphere? Discuss both propositions using theory and empirical evidence to support your conclusion.
