Facing Disagreement: Social Media and Public Deliberation

This paper aims at analysing social media as a potential sphere for public deliberation. Social media have become an increasingly popular means for sharing and exchanging information, radically modifying the way people communicate to each other. They have opened a direct communication channel for citizens and other political actors, who are now able to reach massive audiences without the filter of political intermediaries. Nevertheless, the effect of social media on deliberation still remains unclear. For some analysts, social media can create a vibrant space for political discussion and contestation by empowering the option of voice for anyone interested. For some other analysts, social media do not provide the right conditions for a meaningful deliberation, and could even have negative effects on the formation of public opinion by, for instance, dangerously radicalizing the polarisation of ideas. Focusing on the debate of Catalonia’s secession, the paper analyses the interaction on Twitter between the opposite sides of this divisive political issue. Based on a random selection of conversations and using content analysis techniques, the paper examines the way participants approach opposing ideas and arguments, their deliberative behaviour and the reaction towards disagreement. Overall, the paper will provide relevant insights on the possibility of non-ideal deliberation in social media settings in cases of strong disagreement.