What do you think of Musk’s statement?

The purpose of this assignment is to use concepts from the readings assigned in class and class discussion to analyze some aspect of an actual public or counterpublic.  You should choose a concept or concepts from the readings or your notes and use it to analyze or explain some feature of a public or counterpublic.  In your analysis, you should 1) identify something that you think constitutes a public (or counterpublic) and 2) use some of the concepts from the readings or other scholarly writing on publics and counterpublics to support your argument.  You might, for example, argue that people living with cancer have constituted themselves as a counterpublic, and look at some of the ways that they recognize their exclusion from wider publics and articulate that exclusion (Asen 437-443).  Or you might consider whether (or the extent to which) a particular group on campus or in the community enacts some of the requirements of a public sphere (e.g. open access, participatory parity, social equality, [Fraser 63]).  Or you might consider the extent to which an online forum provides for true public deliberation (Bohman).  Or any other topic that interests you and allows you to explore course concepts in more depth.

Update:  Very shortly after I posted the original assignment, Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and reaction to it hit the news. In explaining his decision, Musk tweeted, “Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy.”  In light of our discussion of publics and counterpublics and the role they play in modern societies, what do you think of Musk’s statement? Be sure to refer to course materials about the requirements for public deliberation and the role it plays in democratic societies  if you choose to write about this.

You should, of course, provide a full bibliographic citation (MLA 8th edition or Chicago Manual 17th edition) for the article and anything else you cite in your essay (e.g. other course readings, news or opinion sources you cite for specific empirical claims) and you should write in a formal (though not stiff or pompous) academic voice. The assignment will probably be easier if you find the article that most interests and engages you. Also, be sure that you have chosen an article marked with an asterisk.