ABSTRACT
The development of computer-based communications technologies has given rise to challenging ambitions and projections. The German case is a good example of how hopes and projections about the new medium by far exceed what is technically or politically feasible in the medium term. Public discussion has indeed discovered the ‘new media age’ as a buzzword. Its implications and opportunities, however, for the democratic process have not yet caught wide attention. To be more comprehensively informed is a major issue, whereas the consideration of an active participation of the citizens has not been of major relevance for public discourse (Kleinsteuber, 1995). General notions such as the ‘Informationszeitalter’ (age of information) and the ‘Information Superhighway’ have been widely acknowledged as substantially changing our social environment. However, use of CCT is largely restricted to economic and technical elites or independent political groups. Considering that Germany is one of the most technologically advanced nations, Berlin, and the country as a whole, have been slow to appreciate the opportunities the new communications technologies provide, especially regarding official policy initiatives.
