[Air-L] Reason and Communication: Jürgen Habermas’s Legacy for Media and Communication Studies

[Christian Fuchs]

Christian Fuchs. 2026. Reason and Communication: Jürgen Habermas’s 
Legacy for Media and Communication Studies. tripleC: Communication, 
Capitalism & Critique 24 (1): 54-72. https://doi.org/10.31269/7112an90

What is Jürgen Habermas’s legacy for media and communication studies? 
Jürgen Habermas (1929-2026), a towering figure in critical theory, 
profoundly shaped media and communication studies by emphasising 
communication as the cornerstone of social existence. His theory of 
communicative action, rooted in the interplay between language, culture, 
and society, redefined communication as both a means of social 
reproduction and a site of democratic potential. Habermas’s concept of 
the public sphere – where communicative rationality confronts 
instrumental reason – remains essential for analysing how power 
structures, from capitalism to digital authoritarianism, distort 
democratic discourse. His critique of the colonisation of the lifeworld 
by systemic forces such as money and power offers a framework for 
assessing contemporary challenges, including algorithmic control, 
fragmented digital publics, and the rise of far-right ideologies online. 
By linking communication to emancipatory ideals, Habermas challenged 
scholars to interrogate the tensions between economic imperatives and 
democratic promises. His anti-fascist stance, informed by post-war 
Germany’s reckoning with Nazism, underscores the urgency of defending 
universalism and humanism against resurgent authoritarianism. While his 
dualisms (e.g., lifeworld vs system) invite debate, Habermas’s legacy 
lies in his insistence that communication is not merely instrumental but 
inherently normative – a space for contesting domination and imagining 
alternatives. This article explores how Habermas’s ideas on 
communication, the public sphere, and (anti-)fascism provide critical 
tools to navigate today’s mediated landscapes, where digital capitalism 
and ideological polarisation threaten the very foundations of democratic 
dialogue. Engaging with Habermas means confronting his blind spots while 
building on his vision of communication as a recursive process of social 
transformation. His work compels us to ask: How can we reclaim the 
public sphere in an era of algorithmic fragmentation and ideological 
extremism? Habermas’s answers, though provisional, remain indispensable 
for theorising communication’s role in fostering – or undermining – 
justice and solidarity.