Public Spheres for the Trump Age: Fresh at Project Syndicate

Fresh at Project Syndicate: Public Spheres for the Trump Age https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/universities-in-the-age-of-trump-by-j–bradford-delong-2017-07: BERKELEY – In many societies, universities are the main bastions of ideological and intellectual independence. We count on them to transmit our values to the young, and to support short- and long-run inquiries into the human condition. In Donald Trump’s America, they are more important than ever.

Unlike universities, for-profit media enterprises have never been up to the task of nurturing a robust “public sphere.” Inevitably, their coverage reflects enormous pressure to please the base – their advertisers or investors – or at least to avoid giving offense. That is why the American writer and political commentator Walter Lippmann – no stranger to journalism – ultimately put his trust in public intellectuals working in universities, think tanks, or other niches. Read MOAR at Project Syndicate