The dangers to liberal democracy by democratizing the fourth estate

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2020 in the subject Communications - Media and Politics, Politic Communications, grade: 1,0, University of Education, language: English, abstract: Democracy¿s core value simultaneously challenges it.

Including the pluralist views and opinions of democracy¿s diverse citizenry in political decisions is as much of a challenge as it is to consider even the views that oppose democracy. Modern democracies face this challenge more than ever as autocratic politicians all over the world gain power. With the upcoming US election, the implementation of the last still echoes. Donald Trump had gained the highest office in the country through manipulation. The manipulation continues as the President of the United States still publishes false claims unrestrictedly on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

While specifically producing Fake News to threaten liberal democracy is a danger itself, this thesis focuses on the development that enables it. The development is the democratization of the fourth estate, which describes the rise of social media platforms. As they have turned out to be preeminent news providers to their users, due to their structural properties, they impose threats to liberal democracies. While it seems paradoxical that a process of democratization threatens liberal democracy, the danger is rooted in the fundamental paradox within itself.

In order to break down the complexity of this topic, the thesis is structured into three main chapters. The first chapter offers an overview of liberalism and democracy, both of which constitute the modern concept of liberal democracy. It also highlights the paradox within liberal democracy as it presents the root of the dangers. The second chapter thematizes the fourth estate and the modern development it underwent. Furthermore, it exemplifies the problem of this process based on the paradox of liberal democracy. The last chapter specifically analyzes the danger enabled through social media platforms by categorizing them into internal and external threats.

This thesis provides examples for the execution of specific laws, rights, and events in various countries and is not limited to a particular region in order to elaborate on the democratization of the fourth estate in a broader context.