International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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“Media, Religion, and the Public Sphere: Challenges to Secularism in the Digital Age”

Author(s) Dr. Jayaprakasha R
Country India
Abstract The digital age has fundamentally reshaped the relationship between media, religion, and the public sphere, posing renewed challenges to the principle of secularism. Contrary to classical secularization theories that anticipated the gradual retreat of religion from public life, contemporary digital media environments have enabled the reassertion and transformation of religious discourse in highly visible and politicized forms (Habermas, 1989; Hjarvard, 2016). This study examines how digital media platforms influence the presence, framing, and circulation of religious narratives within the public sphere and how these dynamics challenge secular norms, with particular reference to pluralistic societies such as India. Drawing on Public Sphere theory and the mediatization of religion framework, the study conceptualizes digital platforms as active mediators that shape public debate through algorithmic amplification, media framing, and networked communication (Loader & Mercea, 2012). The analysis highlights that while digital media expand opportunities for religious expression and civic participation, they also contribute to fragmented discourse, polarization, and the blurring of boundaries between religion and politics. Rather than signalling a simple decline or resurgence of religion, the findings suggest that secularism in the digital age is being renegotiated through ongoing contestation in online public spaces. The study concludes that understanding media–religion interactions is crucial for assessing the future of secularism and democratic deliberation, particularly in culturally diverse societies where digital communication increasingly shapes public opinion and civic life.
Keywords Digital media; Religion; Public sphere; Secularism; Mediatization.
Published In Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On 2026-02-20
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.69457
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