ABSTRACT
This chapter explores strains in the societal fabric to examine how new media help and hinder the socially responsible discussion and collaboration regarding topics of narrow and broad interest. It examines how dialogue, issues, power/knowledge and public policy decision-making can play out in the new media society over the issue of the environmental impact and regulation of fracking. The concept of power/knowledge has been used in anticipation that it would be discussed in detail to solidify and clarify the nature and role of legitimacy in society and organizational agency. Such discussion becomes even more valuable as it can address the ways in which social media enlarges the discourse arena allowing more voices to contest with one another to affect the rationale of organizational, institutional, community and communicative legitimacy. The incentive to enact deliberative democracy grows from the need for understanding and agreement as a foundation for practicing sound management at all levels, individual, organizational, and societal.
