The ‘5 Ps’ and their interplay: Does it still make sense to talk about ‘public’?

Abstract

This article faces the wide argument of communication, dissent and competing voices in today’s post-truth world, with an interdisciplinary analysis which blends different approaches coming from the fields of media sociology, political sociology and social philosophy, focusing on the theme of ‘public’, individuals and democracy. The work does that with the lecture of five different phenomena as trail sign – the ‘5 Ps’ quoted in the title, that is: post-truth, populism, polarization, political communication and post-modern era – which, both singularly considered and looking at their mutual interplays, could allow us to answer the main question of this research: it still makes sense to talk about ‘public’ and, if not, in which way it affects people’s relationships, society and democracy?