© Political Studies Association, 2002. Published by Blackwell Publishers, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA Public Opinion, Political Communication and the Internet Heather Savigny 1 University of Birmingham In contemporary society public opinion is generally mediated by the mass media, which has come to encompass the Habermasian ‘public sphere’. This arena is now characterised by the conflict between market and democratic principles, by competing interests of politicians and the media. The presentation of information for debate becomes distorted. The opinion of the ‘public’ is no longer created through deliberation, but is constructed through systems of communication, in conflict with political actors, who seek to retain control of the dissemination of information. The expansion of the internet as a new method of communication provides a potential challenge to the primacy of the traditional media and political parties as formers of public opinion. Introduction Public opinion is crucial for political actors to maintain their legitimacy and political authority. In contemporary modern liberal democratic society public opinion is generally mediated by the mass media, either through the presentation of opinion polls, or more generally in the reflection and/or creation of public opinion. Jürgen Habermas provides a framework through which to analyse the relationship between the media and public opinion formation. The ideals of Habermas’s notion of public opinion in the public sphere are premised on the assumption of rational-critical undistorted debate and universal access. Contemporary mass media encompass the public sphere, but this arena is characterised by the conflict between market and democratic principles, where media presentation of issues are distorted to gain atten- tion, rather than to provide information. The ‘public’ is no longer created through deliberation, but is constructed through systems of communication, in conflict with political actors, who seek to retain control of the dissemination of information. Whereas setting the context and parameters of the debate structuring public opinion was traditionally within the remit of political parties, in contemporary poli- tics political strategies are rarely pursued by actors without consideration of their presentation and effect through the media. Technological advances have impacted upon the nature of political activity and the political message itself (Blumler and McQuail, 1968; Mancini and Swanson, 1996, pp. 4–6). Each technological com- munication development has raised concerns in respect of its impact and influence on public opinion. The internet is an instrument, as yet, largely outside of tradi- tional elite control. This medium offers greater opportunities for individuals to participate and embodies a challenge to the existing forums of debate. This article, through a Habermasian framework, raises normative theoretical questions in respect of the role of the internet in political communication and the construction, reconstruction and expression of public opinion. Does the internet represent an POLITICS: 2002 VOL 22(1), 1–8