Who Spoke and Who Was Heard in the Cartoons debate?

An analysis of the coverage of the Danish Muhammad cartoons affair provided a useful opportunity to examine how editors made use of their right to publish and the degree to which they responded to the opportunity to invite the public to “engage in rational discussion” (Habermas 1996). In a world of trans-nationalism in which cultures cross borders and narrowly nationalistic assumptions are increasingly being tested, this was a golden opportunity for newspapers to open their pages to a debate that affects not only the media but also democracy. This chapter examines the way that opportunity was used.