Assignment
The Use of Digital Platforms for Civic Engagement
Based on: Schwanholz, Graham & Stoll (Eds.),
Managing Democracy in the Digital Age (2018)
Introduction
The rapid expansion of digital technologies and online communication platforms has
transformed how individuals participate in civic and political life. Digital platforms—
particularly social media networks, online forums, and digital news environments—have
emerged as key tools for enabling public discussion, political expression, and community-
building. In the book Managing Democracy in the Digital Age (2018), several scholars
explore how digital platforms shape contemporary civic engagement, especially in Part III:
Online Civic Engagement and the Public Sphere.
This assignment examines how digital platforms support, reshape, and sometimes challenge
civic engagement, drawing directly from the specific chapters and authors in the text.
Digital News Platforms and Everyday Civic Engagement
Chapter 10 – Joëlle Swart, Chris Peters & Marcel Broersma
Swart, Peters, and Broersma analyze how digital news consumption has become central to
civic life. According to their study, the increased accessibility of digital news across
smartphones, apps, and social media platforms has created new “rituals” of public
connection. Citizens are now able to remain continually updated on public affairs, leading to
a form of civic engagement that is woven into everyday life.
Their research shows that digital platforms enable people to:
Stay informed more continuously
Share public issues within their social networks
Discuss news informally
Maintain a sense of shared public identity
However, they also argue that being “connected” does not always mean being connected
through professional journalism. Instead, many individuals receive news through social
platforms, blending traditional news with personal content. This mix ultimately supports civic
awareness but changes how engagement occurs in society.
Digital Platforms as Spaces for Public Criticism and
Accountability
Chapter 11 – Göran Svensson
Svensson’s chapter highlights how social media serves as a civic space where the public can
express media criticism, distrust, and even hostility toward journalism. By studying
discussions on the online forum Flashback, Svensson shows that digital platforms are used by
citizens to challenge mainstream media, express concerns, and demand accountability.
Key civic functions of digital platforms include:
Providing a space for public feedback
Allowing direct communication between citizens and journalists
Encouraging transparency and accountability
Enabling community debate around media ethics and trust
Importantly, Svensson demonstrates that even highly polarized online environments can
foster constructive civic engagement when journalists participate sincerely and respectfully.
This suggests that digital platforms can improve dialogue and trust between the public and
media institutions.
Everyday Political Talk and Informal Civic Participation
Chapter 12 – Jakob Svensson
Jakob Svensson investigates how political engagement emerges in non-political online
communities. His study of the LGBTQ online platform “Qruiser” reveals that digital
engagement is not limited to formal political spaces. Instead, users frequently discuss
political issues within lifestyle communities.
A key concept introduced is the “imagined audience of lurkers.”
Active posters shape arguments not only for each other but also for silent readers who may
be persuaded or influenced. This changes how people perform civic engagement online.
Digital platforms encourage:
Informal political expression
Persuasion through everyday conversations
A sense of community-based civic identity
Participation beyond traditional political institutions
Svensson concludes that online civic engagement is often less about rational debate and more
about sharing stories, expressing identity, and influencing others indirectly, showing the
diversity of online political participation.
Civic Engagement in Non-Western Digital Public Spheres
Chapter 13 – Yu Sun, Todd Graham & Marcel Broersma
Sun, Graham, and Broersma explore civic engagement in China’s “green public sphere,”
where citizens discuss environmental problems on online forums. Despite limited political
freedom, digital platforms allow Chinese citizens to:
Express political concerns
Criticize environmental policies
Share personal stories
Build community awareness
Even though open debate in the Western sense is uncommon, the authors show that Chinese
citizens engage civically by complaining, sharing experiences, and voicing dissatisfaction,
which indirectly challenges state authority. This demonstrates that digital platforms create
alternative forms of civic participation even under authoritarian conditions.
Overall Analysis
Across all chapters, the book demonstrates that digital platforms fundamentally reshape civic
engagement by:
1. Enhancing accessibility
Citizens can engage with public issues anytime through mobile devices and social media.
2. Encouraging informal participation
Political expression often occurs outside traditional institutions, such as lifestyle forums or
comment sections.
3. Strengthening public oversight
Digital platforms enable critique of media, politicians, and institutions.
4. Fostering community
Online spaces allow people to form shared identities and collective concerns.
5. Redefining civic rituals
Engagement becomes part of everyday routines through digital news consumption.
6. Expanding participation globally
Even in nondemocratic states, platforms open avenues for civic voice and collective action.
Conclusion
Digital platforms have revolutionized civic engagement by offering new ways for citizens to
connect, communicate, and participate in public life. The authors of Managing Democracy in
the Digital Age demonstrate that engagement today is richer, more informal, more diverse,
and more widespread. Whether through news consumption, online political talk, public
criticism, or environmental activism, digital platforms create a dynamic and complex civic
landscape.
This transformation presents both opportunities for strengthening democratic participation
and challenges regarding polarization, misinformation, and trust. Nevertheless, digital
platforms clearly play a critical role in shaping modern civic life.
References:
Swart, J., Peters, C., & Broersma, M. (2018). New rituals for public connection. In J.
Schwanholz, T. Graham, & P.-T. Stoll (Eds.), Managing democracy in the digital age.
Springer.
Svensson, G. (2018). Social media as civic space for media criticism and journalism hate. In
J. Schwanholz et al. (Eds.), Managing democracy in the digital age.
Svensson, J. (2018). Lurkers and the fantasy of persuasion in an online cultural public
sphere. In J. Schwanholz et al. (Eds.), Managing democracy in the digital age.
Sun, Y., Graham, T., & Broersma, M. (2018). Environmental talk in the Chinese green
public sphere. In J. Schwanholz et al. (Eds.), Managing democracy in the digital age.