The Tranformation of Visibility: The Tranformation of Visibility: tthe new publicness and he new publicness and

communicationcommunication

Assoc. Prof. SERDAR ÖZTÜRKAssoc. Prof. SERDAR ÖZTÜRK

IntroductionIntroductionPrior to the development of the media, political Prior to the development of the media, political figures and other important people were figures and other important people were ““invisibleinvisible”” to to the general publicthe general public. Rulers could . Rulers could make their decisions behind closed doors. Themake their decisions behind closed doors. Theyy could restrict their visibilities could restrict their visibilities within within a restricted a restricted circirccle. le. But today, rulers and important people But today, rulers and important people must must show themselves in front the cameras and show themselves in front the cameras and the the IInternet.nternet.Today, we do not even interact with othersToday, we do not even interact with others;; it is it is possible to possible to be only familiar be only familiar with them on the with them on the television and television and the Ithe Internet.nternet.In this course I want to explore this In this course I want to explore this transformation of transformation of visibilityvisibility..

The Public and PrivateTo try to understand this tranformation we have to know the public and private concepts. Visibility and invisibility are in relation to public and private matters.In Western social and political discourse, public means “open” or “available to the public”. In this sense, what is public is what is visible or observable. In contrast, what is private is what is hidden from view. We may understand that a public act is a visible act. That means everyone sees or hears a performance. A private act is invisible. It is an act performed secretly and behind closed doors.Habermas argues the matter in his famous book, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere.This book makes central claims. The first is that a variety of social conditions during eighteenth century created a new public sphere.

Public SphereA large numbers of middle class men came together to engage in critical-rational debate over public matters. These discussions created both new ideas and new practises.

CLIP 1: CRITICAL DEBATE versus SMALL TALK – Shadows (john Cassavetes, 1959) At the cafe

CLIP 2: CRITICAL DEBATE – Shadows (john Cassavetes, 1959) At the saloon

Public SphereFurthermore, the emergence of this new public sphere formed a zone mediation between the state and private domain. The people in the public sphere could not talk about their private interests and private matters there. Family matters were in the private domain.

The private realm comprised both the expanding domain of economic relations and the intimate sphere of personal relations.

Between the realm of the state and the private realm, there emerged the new public sphere.

Public SpherePublic SphereThe Bourgeois society, which was educated and wealthy, came together to debate the regulation of the society and conduct of the state.

The new public sphere was not a part of the state. On the contrary, it was a sphere in which all state activities were critized. Individials coming together produced discussion by using their reason. The press triggered the debate.

Public SpherePublic Sphere

The Literary PublicnessThe Literary Publicness

Habermas attributes particular importance to the rise of novels and the periodical press. First, the debates were in relation to novels. People discussed the novels at coffeehouses, salons and taverns. The literary publicness emerged first.

CLIP 3: BECOMING JANE

CLIP 4: BECOMİNG JANE

From Literary Public Sphere to Politics Public Sphere

The critical journals that began to appear in Europe in the late seventeenth century led to a political public sphere. These journals increasingly became concerned with issues of social and politicl matters. Morever, a variety of new socialibity centres appeared in Europe. These involved at coffeehouses, salons. They became places of discussion. The educated and the rich elites could interact with one another.In Europe the first coffeehouses were set up in England in the middle of the seventeenth century. They flourished in the eighteen century. Both coffeehouses and the press stimulated critical and rational debates.

Public SherePublic ShereAs seen, Habermas attributes a significant role to the printed word. But if we think his book carefully, we see that his way of thinking about the printed word was based on the spoken word: the periodical press was part of a conversation in public places. The press was inseparable from the life of clubs and coffeehouses. In this respect, Habermas’s analysis of the bourgeois public sphere is similar to the ancient Greece conception of public life: the salons, clubs and coffeehouses in Europe were the equilavent of the market places of ancient Greece.

The Decline of Public SphereHabermas claims that the development of media industries and the blurring of the state and society had led to demise of the public sphere. The seperation between the state and civil society began to break down as states intervened in the social life. At the same time, coffeehouses and salons either died out or underwent radical change. These places declined in significance. The press became part of media organizations. The commercialization of the media altered their character in a fundemantal way.To sum up, Habermas claims that during the nineteenth century, the public sphere demised because of media companies and political power’s intervention in the public sphere.At this point, I would like to discuss the visibility and invisibility issue in relation to publicness.

Visibility in Mediavel AgesDuring the mediaveal ages – and even in early modern Europe - the state affairs were discussed behind the closed doors. The decision making process and many decisions were invisible to people. King, lords and princes were also invisible to individuals. They sometimes appeared before their subjects. The reason why they wanted to show themselves in front of population was to make their power visible to others. Rulers wanted people to applaud them and to affirm their decisions.Their public appearences were carefully staged events. For example, victory ceremonies were a kind of theatrical performances of the rulers. They showed their aura to people in order to get the people to believe their legality.

Visibility Visibility BBefore the efore the PPrintrint WordWordThe more they were invisible to peopleThe more they were invisible to people,, the more the more they they increased their power. increased their power. IInvisibility was the basic principle nvisibility was the basic principle of this era.of this era.

Prior to the development of the media, the Prior to the development of the media, the publicnesspublicness of of individuals or events linked to the sharing of a common individuals or events linked to the sharing of a common locale. locale.

An event became A PUBLIC EVENT by being seen An event became A PUBLIC EVENT by being seen before inviduals.before inviduals.

For example, a public execution performed before For example, a public execution performed before spectators became a public event. With this public event, spectators became a public event. With this public event, the king wanted to spread this message: “Ithe king wanted to spread this message: “I aam m the King. the King. You You must must obey me and my obey me and my lawslaws. If you do this . If you do this type type of of crimecrime,, you you wi will be punished as in thll be punished as in thisis example.” example.” And And ppeople would see rulers through these mechanisms.eople would see rulers through these mechanisms.

Visibility Visibility BBefore the efore the PPrintrint Word WordJohn B. Thomson describes this publicness (visibility) as, “traditional publicness of co-presence”. Because it involved sight as well as sound, visual appearance as well as the spoken word.This kind of publicness involves the getting together of people in a common locale. That is why it is essentially dialogical in character. I mean people could participate in public events by cheering, clapping and screaming.

CLIP 5- BRAVEHEARTCLIP 6- 1984 (puplic execution in distopic world).

Mediated PublicnessMediated PublicnessWith the development of With the development of the the mediamedia,, new public forms new public forms emerged. These forms were quite different form the emerged. These forms were quite different form the traditional publicness of co-presence.traditional publicness of co-presence.

An event spread to people by An event spread to people by the the media, so there was no media, so there was no precondition to share a common locale to witness events. precondition to share a common locale to witness events.

The turning point began with the invention of the printThe turning point began with the invention of the printed ed wordword. The print. The printeded word did word did not not need people to be in the need people to be in the place place where the event where the event emerged.emerged. It seperated the message It seperated the message production and reception domains. People comprisedproduction and reception domains. People comprised of of collectivitycollectivity through through reading public. This public was not reading public. This public was not localized in space and timelocalized in space and time; i; it was a public without place. t was a public without place. There was no need for faceThere was no need for face--toto--face communication to reach face communication to reach the events and personalitiesthe events and personalities for t for they were written hey were written down down on on paper.paper. Visibility meant to see Visibility meant to see wordswords and pictures of events and pictures of events and and the individual could the individual could imagine imagine the eventsthe events..

Mediated PublicnessThe printed word also disconnected the dialogical character

of face-to-face communication. One-way message tranmissions became the basic character of mediated publicness.

But we have to note that on the reception side the dialogical character did not disappear completely. Books were read aloud to individuals in public places. After reading and listening there were discussions of the written and heard materials.

We should add that people who would like to show themselves and send messages before others had to act blindly for the public reading was invisible to them.

Electronic Electronic PPublicness (Visibility)ublicness (Visibility)The development of electronic media in some ways transformed the public sphere. Let us pay attention to television.

Television places particular emphasis on the sense of vision. Television images are combined with audio and visual cues. Therefore television enables people to see television personalities, television events as well as to hear them.

In the television age, visibility is similar to the traditional publicness of co-presence: the capacity to be seen with eyes.

But there are some differences between them. What are they?

Electronic PublicnessFirst, television messages are visible many people who are sharing different places.

Second, television works the directionality of vision. In face-to-face communication individiuals are visible to each other. In the case of television, however, the direction of vision is one-way. The individuals on television screen can be seen by viewers, but viewers are invisible for television personalities. Television characters cannot see viewers.

What if television or movie characters see viewers?

CLIP 7- THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO (Woody Allen)

CLIP 8- THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO (Woody Allen)

Electronic PublicnessElectronic Publicness

We may claim that with the printed word and particularly with the television, the conception of publicness has detached the dialogical meaning and took another form. It has become despatialized and non-dialogical.

Discussion: Troubles for the Discussion: Troubles for the RRulers ulers for for MManagement of their anagement of their VVisibilityisibility

Political leaders andPolitical leaders and other important other important figures always tried to figures always tried to constructconstruct and preserve and preserve their self-images. Television, at this their self-images. Television, at this point, provided important advantages. But at the same also point, provided important advantages. But at the same also disadvantages…disadvantages…

Television was a very useful tool for rulers because they could Television was a very useful tool for rulers because they could reach every section of population. Because many people reach every section of population. Because many people could see rulers on televison the management of people’s could see rulers on televison the management of people’s consent was easy for the rulers. Having ability to see anyone consent was easy for the rulers. Having ability to see anyone could see the self-imaging act of the rulers on could see the self-imaging act of the rulers on TVTV..

But television seemed ambigious for television personalities. But television seemed ambigious for television personalities. TVTV is a double-edged sword. It also presented some is a double-edged sword. It also presented some disadvandages for the rulers and important figures.disadvandages for the rulers and important figures.

Sources of TroubleSources of TroubleIt is not possible for television characters to manage their It is not possible for television characters to manage their visibility on television without trouble. They cannot totalvisibility on television without trouble. They cannot totallly y control their management of visibilities.control their management of visibilities.

There are several kinds of sources of trouble:There are several kinds of sources of trouble: Gaffe and Gaffe and OOutburstutburst The The BBackfired ackfired PPerformanceserformances The The LLeakeak The The SScandalcandal

Gaffe and Gaffe and OOutburstutburst

CLIP 9: GAFF (Bush)CLIP 9: GAFF (Bush)

Both of them represent a failure of controlling behavior. Both of them represent a failure of controlling behavior. Some people on Some people on TVTV cannot control themselves or cannot cannot control themselves or cannot command the situation. People see people on command the situation. People see people on TVTV who who cancannonot control his/her feelings, actions or utterances. It t control his/her feelings, actions or utterances. It may mean that the people who produce gaffe and may mean that the people who produce gaffe and outburst on outburst on TVTV terminate terminate their political or other kinds of their political or other kinds of careers. careers.

We have to emphasize that what is new is to record We have to emphasize that what is new is to record gaffes and outbursts and send to many people gaffes and outbursts and send to many people in front of in front of the TVthe TV..

Backfired Backfired PPerformanceserformancesThe performing person may control himselThe performing person may control himselff/herself and can /herself and can command the situation. But the viewers interpret the ruler’s acts command the situation. But the viewers interpret the ruler’s acts in oppositional wayin oppositional wayss. A political leader intend to have certain . A political leader intend to have certain aaffectffectss on the viewers. But viewers are not present at the place on the viewers. But viewers are not present at the place of production and they mayof production and they may not not understand the real intention of understand the real intention of political leader. The ruler is unable to observe viewers and political leader. The ruler is unable to observe viewers and cannot adjust hiscannot adjust his/her/her act accordingly.act accordingly.

Before the first Gulf War, in 1990, Saddam Hussein staged a Before the first Gulf War, in 1990, Saddam Hussein staged a press conference with a group of British hostages and their press conference with a group of British hostages and their children. He intended to give a message to children. He intended to give a message to WWestern estern world world that that Western people should force the western governments to Western people should force the western governments to prevent war. prevent war.

Although he Although he played played the children, and asked them if they were the children, and asked them if they were getting enough food and exercise, viewers interpereted this act getting enough food and exercise, viewers interpereted this act as a shameful manipulationas a shameful manipulation of power of power..

CLIP 10- BACKFIRED (Gulf War)CLIP 10- BACKFIRED (Gulf War)

The Leak and the ScandalThe Leak and the ScandalIf information in If information in a secret areaa secret area is disclosed is disclosed,, it it many times many times causes scandals. Some people can spread the hidden causes scandals. Some people can spread the hidden information or private event by videos or written material. information or private event by videos or written material. This hidden or private information can make This hidden or private information can make it it visible to visible to everyone.everyone.

A leak is an intentional disclosure of the information on A leak is an intentional disclosure of the information on the side of an insider. The insider the side of an insider. The insider realises the meanings realises the meanings of his actsof his acts meaning and accepts the price to be paid. meaning and accepts the price to be paid.

There are some kinds of scandals. Sex, corruption, There are some kinds of scandals. Sex, corruption, bribery scandals are pervasive in our age. As hidden bribery scandals are pervasive in our age. As hidden information is all of suddenly made visible through information is all of suddenly made visible through mediamedia,, scandals scandals tend to tend to break out. break out.

CLIP 11- CLINTONCLIP 11- CLINTON