DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2706-6185/53/52-57
Konul Niftaliyeva
Baku State University
PhD in Philology
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3565-5421
kenul.nifteliyeva@gmail.com
Maral Najafli
Baku, Azerbaijan
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1254-4969
maralnajafli1995@gmail.com
Citizen Journalism in the Context of Agenda-Setting Theory: The Impact of Digital Participation on the Public Sphere
Abstract
The widespread expansion of the internet and the development of Web 2.0 technologies have transformed individuals into active producers of information. As a result of this change, citizen journalism has made significant contributions to increasing polyphony in the public sphere and shaping alternative perspectives. The opportunities created by digital platforms have strengthened individual initiatives, thereby weakening the monopoly of traditional media outlets over information flows and broadening the thematic diversity of public debates. Within the framework of Habermas’s concept of the “public sphere,” citizen journalism has enhanced individuals’ ability to participate in the formation of public opinion, thus influencing the development of a democratic deliberative environment. However, the expansion of the digital environment has also brought new risks such as cyberbullying, disinformation, and social polarization. This study systematically analyzes the role of citizen journalism in shaping the public agenda, the impact of digital participation on the public sphere, and the opportunities emerging in the new media environment.
Keywords: agenda-setting theory, digitalization, public sphere, citizen journalism