Is the communication revolution good for democracy?

Résumé

This commentary examines the effects of social media on democracy, focusing on the democratization of information, the “three powers of the dark side” and the question of whether PR professionals can be agents of ethical influence. The three powers of the dark side flow from the: potential use of digital communication to subvert democracy; citizen’s continuous partial attention driven by the ‘second-screen’ phenomenon; and decline of trust in journalism that can deprive citizens of credible information curation. The commentary concludes with the affirmation that the communication revolution can be good for democracy – but only if professional communicators are ready to lead it.

©Journal of Professional Communication, all rights reserved.