Online Public Discourse on Foreign Policy: Assessing Quality of Discourse in Digital Deliberation

While the open, participatory nature of the Internet has led cyber-enthusiasts to “express optimism about the ability of the new media to empower people,” at what cost does this lowered barrier to participation come... [ view full abstract ]

While the open, participatory nature of the Internet has led cyber-enthusiasts to “express optimism about the ability of the new media to empower people,” at what cost does this lowered barrier to participation come (Wolfsfeld et al, 117)? Does online news coverage, as one incarnation of new media, encourage or harm effective discourse? Using a Habermasian conception of deliberative democracy, this project looks at four case studies of online public discourse on timely foreign policy issues: US-Israel relations, the Iran nuclear negotiations, the end of the Cuban trade embargo, and Western military action against ISIS. By comparing comments on relevant articles across five major news publications and scoring comments based on principles of Habermasian discourse, this study seeks to identify trends in quality of discourse across foreign policy topics and news publications. As a senior thesis project, this paper will ultimately seek to make recommendations for media and policy makers to promote high quality online public discourse.