Spaces, places, and geographies of public spheres

Author(s)
Annie Waldherr, Ulrike Klinger, Barbara Pfetsch
Abstract

For decades, scholars have been calling out a spatial turn in media and communication studies. Yet, in public sphere research, spatial concepts such as space and place have mainly been used metaphorically. In recent years, the abundance of digital trace data offers new opportunities to locate communicative interactions, sparking new interest in the spatial turn in media and communication and opening up new perspectives on spaces and places also within public sphere research. Digital location data enables one to: study the places and spaces in which (semi-)public communication is embedded; uncover geographical inequalities between countries, regions, cities, and peripheries; and highlight the local contexts of public spheres. This thematic issue gathers some of these endeavors in one place, bringing together conceptual, methodological, and empirical contributions that spell out the spatiality of public spheres in detail and combine the analysis of spaces, places, and geographies with long-standing concepts of public sphere research.

Organisation(s)
Department of Communication
External organisation(s)
Freie Universität Berlin (FU), Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Journal
Media and Communication
Volume
9
Pages
1-4
No. of pages
4
ISSN
2183-2439
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.4679
Publication date
2021
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
508007 Communication science, 508014 Journalism
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Communication
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/spaces-places-and-geographies-of-public-spheres(9eaf3434-e311-4769-b9d6-12010d418fb3).html