The Deliberative System and Inter-Connected Media in Times of Uncertainty

“Deliberative democracy has often been dismissed as an unrealistic ideal especially in our time of democratic crisis. Maia, Hauber, and Choucair put all doubts to rest in this theoretically rich, deeply researched and empirically grounded study of reason-giving in a mediated public sphere. Using a fascinating case study as a foundation, this book builds a compelling picture of both what is wrong with the present state of political communication but also what we can do to put it right”. Professor Simone Chambers, Chair of the Department of Political Science, University of California Irvine, USA “Yet again, a highly innovative account of the complexities of democratic public debate. Public reasons do not only circulate through, and thus link, various media and non-media arenas; they also characteristically intertwine arguments and emotions. While many of us may have “known” these things intuitively, Rose Maia and her team thoroughly demonstrate them in sound theorizing and insightful case studies”. Professor Hartmut Wessler, Institute for Media and Communication Studies, University of Mannheim, Germany Adopting a systemic perspective, this book explores media-based communication and reason-giving as a linkage process that transcends time and space. Arguments, reasoning perspectives and emotional concerns link elites’ and citizens’ political judgement within and across a set of interrelated arenas in the political system. Rousiley C.M. Maia is Professor of Political Communication at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Gabriella Hauber was a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais when this book was written. She is currently Assistant Professor of Communication at the Federal Technological University of Curitiba Tariq Choucair was a doctoral student at the Federal University of Minas Gerais when this book was written. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Digital Media Research Center at the Queensland University of Technology.