public sphere policy

Why Public Sphere Policy?

Our democracy depends on a vibrant public sphere but that sphere has grown increasingly fragile. In digital spaces, information competes with disinformation, facts with emotions, and meaningful debate with manufactured outrage. Tech giants dominate the attention economy, while many people feel unheard and left behind.

Public sphere policy is our attempt not just to describe this shift, but to shape it: as a strategic field of the future that bridges multiple policy areas and secures the communicative foundations of democracy.
Because only those who have a voice in public discourse can truly participate in political decision-making.

This is our utopia: a resilient information society.

Four Pillars for a Resilient Public Sphere
Our work strengthens the resilience of four key areas: democracy, journalism, social media platforms, and society. We understand the public sphere as a dynamic ecosystem. It’s about fair rules for digital political advertising, new funding models for independent journalism, algorithmic transparency, and a society equipped with the necessary information literacy.

We combine political thinking with technological realities and social innovation to build a public sphere that is both robust and future-ready.

Policy for the Democracy of Tomorrow
Public sphere policy is more than a nice-to-have it is a democratic necessity. It cuts across media, education, digital, cultural, and security policy, challenging the usual siloed approaches. At futur eins, we bring together expertise from research, civil society, journalism, and technology to develop tangible solutions.

Our focus is not just on crisis prevention, but on bold, proactive design:
How do we want to argue, debate, and decide in the future?
Public sphere policy offers both the concept and the toolbox.

Publications

Auf dem Weg in die resiliente Informationsgesellschaft: Grundstein einer holistischen Öffentlichkeitspolitik. (2025) Alexander Sängerlaub, Berlin: Allianz für die resiliente Informationgsgesellschaft.

Policy Paper Download