republic.com by Cass Sunstein, Princeton University Press,
$19.95/£12.95, ISBN 0691070253
DOES the media revolution threaten democracy itself? Cass Sunstein’s question
in republic.com is not just another Internet scare.
It goes like this. As TV, the papers and the Web become millions of currents
in one medium, citizens will each choose one channel—their Daily Me. They
may select only information that confirms their prejudices—for football or
against abortion, for example. They may debate only with those who share their
views. But the tradition of representative democracy depends on the existence of
“a public” with shared experiences and dialogue. What to do?…
