Public discourse, both in the mass media and beyond, is a key driving force for cultural creativity and societal learning. In his work, German theorist Bernhard Peters (1949-2005) theoretically and empirically explored the factors facilitating and constraining deliberative public communication, and showed how public deliberation is embedded in the wider currents of public culture.

Available in English for the first time, this selection of Peters' writings offers an overview of his work in which he argued that, despite its sensationalism and commercialization, the mass media provides a locus for political communication, the exchange of ideas and informed debate. Peters' work provides original insights on the prospects for a European, or even global, public sphere, and links public discourse to democracy, collective identity and political legitimacy.

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