Public spheres for the Trump Age

Berkeley

IN MANY societies, universities are the main bastions of ideological and intellectual independence. We count on them to transmit our values to the young, and to support short- and long-run inquiries into the human condition. In Donald Trump's America, they are more important than ever.

Unlike universities, for-profit media enterprises have never been up to the task of nurturing a robust "public sphere". Inevitably, their coverage reflects enormous pressure to please the base - their advertisers or investors - or at least to avoid giving offence. That is why the American writer and political commentator Walter Lippmann - no stranger to journalism - ultimately put his trust in public intellectuals working in universities, think tanks, or other niches.