Free Essays on A Free Press And A Democratic Public Sphere

A Free Press and Democratic Public Sphere â€Å"Burke said there were three estates in Parliament, but in the reporters’ gallery yonder there sat a fourth estate more important than they all. It is not a figure of speech, or a witty saying; it is a literal fact†¦Printing, which comes necessarily out of writing, I say often, is equivalent to democracy; invent writing and democracy is inevitable†¦Whoever can speak, speaking now for the whole nation, becomes a power, a branch of government, with inalienable weight in law making, in all acts of authority. It matters not what rank he has, what revenuers or garnitures: the requisite thing is that he have a tongue which others will listen to.† Since the invention of the printing press the mass media’s effect on politics has been hard to understate. Political theories have been born and died in the span of time marked by the evolution of what we now call mass communication. In this time liberal democracy has come to the forefront as the basic theory behind the systems of government now employed by most all western nations . Together democracy, mass communication, or mass media, capitalism, and the entrepreneurial spirit, which comes there from, have sparked the most rapid period of innovation and invention in the history of the world and some of the freest, most open, and politicly legitimate societies ever to exist. In theory then, mass media is not only beneficial to a democratic public sphere; it is quite imperative. Still, the world does not exist merely in theory, and theory and reality often differ. Today’s mass media, as it has evolved, contains many contradictions that hinder its ability to provide â €Å"equal access†¦to sources of information and equal opportunities to participate in the debates from which political decisions rightly flow.† Nonetheless, because today’s mass media exists in a free press environment the media is of great benefit to democracy. At the d... Free Essays on A Free Press And A Democratic Public Sphere Free Essays on A Free Press And A Democratic Public Sphere A Free Press and Democratic Public Sphere â€Å"Burke said there were three estates in Parliament, but in the reporters’ gallery yonder there sat a fourth estate more important than they all. It is not a figure of speech, or a witty saying; it is a literal fact†¦Printing, which comes necessarily out of writing, I say often, is equivalent to democracy; invent writing and democracy is inevitable†¦Whoever can speak, speaking now for the whole nation, becomes a power, a branch of government, with inalienable weight in law making, in all acts of authority. It matters not what rank he has, what revenuers or garnitures: the requisite thing is that he have a tongue which others will listen to.† Since the invention of the printing press the mass media’s effect on politics has been hard to understate. Political theories have been born and died in the span of time marked by the evolution of what we now call mass communication. In this time liberal democracy has come to the forefront as the basic theory behind the systems of government now employed by most all western nations . Together democracy, mass communication, or mass media, capitalism, and the entrepreneurial spirit, which comes there from, have sparked the most rapid period of innovation and invention in the history of the world and some of the freest, most open, and politicly legitimate societies ever to exist. In theory then, mass media is not only beneficial to a democratic public sphere; it is quite imperative. Still, the world does not exist merely in theory, and theory and reality often differ. Today’s mass media, as it has evolved, contains many contradictions that hinder its ability to provide â €Å"equal access†¦to sources of information and equal opportunities to participate in the debates from which political decisions rightly flow.† Nonetheless, because today’s mass media exists in a free press environment the media is of great benefit to democracy. At the d...

List of Works by Writer Henrik Ibsen

List of Works by Writer Henrik Ibsen Henrik Ibsen is one of the most famous and controversial writers in world literature. Born in Norway in 1828, his plays would make him a household name. Ibsen is a founder of the Modernist theater movement. His plays broke new ground and earned him the nickname the father of realism, a style of theater that focused on domestic interactions. The goal of realism was to create theater that resembled real life and had dialogue that sounded more natural. Ibsen is best known for the play A Dolls House, which deals with the limitations and harsh expectations of women at the time. Henrik Ibsen List of Works 1850 - Catiline (Catilina)1850 - The Burial Mound also known as The Warriors Barrow (Kjà ¦mpehà ¸jen)1851 - Norma (Norma)1852 - St. Johns Eve (Sancthansnatten)1854 - Lady Inger of Oestraat (Fru Inger til Østeraad)1855 - The Feast at Solhaug (Gildet paa Solhoug)1856 - Olaf Liljekrans (Olaf Liljekrans)1857 - The Vikings at Helgeland (Hà ¦rmà ¦ndene paa Helgeland)1862 - Digte - only released collection of poetry1862 - Loves Comedy (Kjà ¦rlighedens Komedie)1863 - The Pretenders (Kongs-Emnerne)1866 - Brand (Brand)1867 - Peer Gynt (Peer Gynt)1869 - The League of Youth (De unges Forbund)1873 - Emperor and Galilean (Kejser og Galilà ¦er)1877 - Pillars of Society (Samfundets Stà ¸tter)1879 - A Dolls House (Et Dukkehjem)1881 - Ghosts (Gengangere)1882 - An Enemy of the People (En Folkefiende)1884 - The Wild Duck (Vildanden)1886 - Rosmersholm (Rosmersholm)1888 - The Lady from the Sea (Fruen fra Havet)1890 - Hedda Gabler (Hedda Gabler)1892 - The Master Builder (Bygmester Solness)1896 - John Gabriel Borkman (John Gabriel Borkman) 1899 - When We Dead Awaken (Nà ¥r vi dà ¸de vaagner) Inspiration for A Dolls House Ibsens most famous work, which is often considered an early feminist masterpiece, was based on the life of Laura Kieler, a friend of the authors. Kieler had a rocky relationship with her husband. She asked Isben to help her find a publisher for her work, but the author refused. Kieler needed money to pay for her husbands medical bills. With no way to earn money, she decided to forge a loan. Her husband divorced her and had her committed to an asylum upon learning of her crime. Ibsen was deeply disturbed by what had happened and his role in it. Ibsen felt inspired to write A Dolls House, much of the protagonists plight is taken from Kielers ordeal. She served two years in the asylum before returning to her ex-husband and children. She would go on to become a successful Norwegian author but, to her dismay, was forever linked to Ibsens play.