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The digital public sphere, universities and intellectualising the public.

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Title: The digital public sphere, universities and intellectualising the public.
Authors: Murphy, Mark (AUTHOR), Costa, Cristina (AUTHOR)
Source: Studies in Higher Education. Jun2026, Vol. 51 Issue 6, p1203-1220. 18p.
Subjects: Universities & colleges, Deliberative democracy, Public sphere, Critical thinking, Conversation, Intellectuals, Theory of knowledge, Misinformation
Abstract: This article explores the role of universities in fostering public intellectualism in the rapidly developing digital public sphere. Specifically, the paper asks: Is there a viable role for universities in shaping and encouraging critical reasoning and deliberative dialogue in the digital public sphere? This is a significant question to ask, given the often-dubious quality of public argumentation, confusion over evidential authority and epistemic expertise, alongside the spread of misinformation and bad actors intent on manipulation and disorder. In exploring this question, we position the digital public sphere in the context of democratic practices and debates over the historical role of the public sphere in developing critical reasoning publics. Alongside this, we engage in a discussion of the role of institutions, in particular universities, in mediating and filtering public opinion, making the argument that universities are well positioned to mediate the endless epistemic struggles at play in the digital public sphere. An overview of the digital engagement of Russell Group universities suggests however, that these institutions are currently far removed from such processes of mediation, instead valuing dissemination over deliberation and publicity over publicness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: The digital public sphere, universities and intellectualising the public.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities+%26+colleges%22">Universities & colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Deliberative+democracy%22">Deliberative democracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+sphere%22">Public sphere</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+thinking%22">Critical thinking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conversation%22">Conversation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intellectuals%22">Intellectuals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Theory+of+knowledge%22">Theory of knowledge</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Misinformation%22">Misinformation</searchLink>
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  Data: This article explores the role of universities in fostering public intellectualism in the rapidly developing digital public sphere. Specifically, the paper asks: Is there a viable role for universities in shaping and encouraging critical reasoning and deliberative dialogue in the digital public sphere? This is a significant question to ask, given the often-dubious quality of public argumentation, confusion over evidential authority and epistemic expertise, alongside the spread of misinformation and bad actors intent on manipulation and disorder. In exploring this question, we position the digital public sphere in the context of democratic practices and debates over the historical role of the public sphere in developing critical reasoning publics. Alongside this, we engage in a discussion of the role of institutions, in particular universities, in mediating and filtering public opinion, making the argument that universities are well positioned to mediate the endless epistemic struggles at play in the digital public sphere. An overview of the digital engagement of Russell Group universities suggests however, that these institutions are currently far removed from such processes of mediation, instead valuing dissemination over deliberation and publicity over publicness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/03075079.2025.2500694
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        Text: English
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Deliberative democracy
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      – SubjectFull: Public sphere
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      – SubjectFull: Critical thinking
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      – SubjectFull: Misinformation
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              Text: Jun2026
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