Rethinking the Public Sphere and the Regulatory Turn: An Interview with Philip Schlesinger

As digital platformization continues to disrupt traditional media ecosystems and transform the infrastructures of public communication, regulatory frameworks worldwide remain in a state of transition, grappling with the challenges posed by algorithmic governance, media fragmentation, and shifting power relations. In this interview, Philip Schlesinger elaborates on his use of the concept of a post-public sphere to theorise the structural rupture of rational-critical discourse in the digital age. He discusses the implications of these changes for democratic governance, the emergence of neo-regulation, and the evolving role of cross-agency regulatory mechanisms such as the UK’s Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF). This interview offers timely theoretical insights and empirical reflections that contribute to current debates on digital regulation, making it a valuable point of entry for those seeking to understand the institutional logic and geopolitical stakes of digital governance today.