Twitter, Trafigura, and the public sphere

The Trafigura episode is a good example of an active public sphere (Habermas) not least because it was not primarily in the mainstream media or by government that the episode was resolved but by active discussion across social media notably Twitter.  Prof. Jensen's use of the concept in a 2001 paper on the role of PR and the public sphere looks remarkably relevant today, as she further developed the role of the public sphere to include a further sphere in which  "the identity and legitimacy of organisations are discussed and reflected - without necessarily claiming governmental intervention" - a concept very relevant to CSR.

Perhaps an active public sphere momentum has developed in the UK as it is interesting to see that later the same week, media itself was under the spotlight.   Following a column in the Daily Mail by Jan Moir on the death of Stephen Gately which many saw as homophobic, and again following a firestorm of comment on Twitter, the Daily Mail saw advertising withdrawn by major companies as a result of the controversy and many thousands of complaints to the Press Complaints Commission.   Some, of course might argue that Twitter is a limited vehicle for discourse - an important feature of the public sphere - but at this moment Twitter seems the most poweful form of social media in terms of the context of the public sphere and "legitimacy of organisations".