Intellectuals, the 'information society' and the disappearance of the public sphere

Elliott argues that the information society is not the democratic force that it is claimed to be. The information society is seen as a process of democratisation by those who emphasise the increased access to information and the expanded possibilities of two-way communication. Elliott points out that access to information does not just depend on having the physical technology. Access is a matter of power relations and the uneven distribution of rights and ability to mobilise one's rights. The present increase in information availability is linked to an increase in the privatisation of information, meaning that information is no longer a right but a commodity. The information for which there is highest demand - or which is demanded by the most powerful consumers - will be produced, rather than information which is demanded by marginal groups or which runs counter to the interests of the powerful actors in the information market. Therefore, Elliott suggests that the information society is not a democratising force, but rather an erosion of the public sphere. It represents a shift away from a society where people were involved as political citizens, to a society where people are involved as consumption units.