Chapter 6 is all about public discourse and what that means with regards to communication ethics. Arnett et al. establish the public sphere as a space for ideas to be expressed and to flow freely. They state that "[t]o nourish this space is to keep before us diversity of ideas and persons while keeping the private arena differentiated and clear" (109). I think they make a really important point about the diversity of ideas in specific.
The internet and specifically social media are platforms that allow anyone with access to share any thoughts they might have. People get to decide what to post and when to post it. Once something is put online it is out there potentially forever and is somewhat accessible to everyone. This can be both a positive and a negative as ideas can spread so easily and quickly. If you want to get a message out there is an easy way to do so. However, it can be bad when something gets posted that is not favorable or meant for the public sphere. Either way, public discourse has grown exponentially with the internet and social media.
I thought your addition of social media and other platforms was a good example of public discourse ethics. It's imperative that we understand that our public lives are there for everyone to see.
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