In the first, public figures, pundits and media stars publicize the private details of other people's private lives. The personal tragedy or the lover's indiscretion are suddenly swept up into the stream of media speculation and become the focus of public attention. How exactly such private events are political, that is, of common concern to the rest of the citizens, is rarely explained. The second dominant type of activity is reflected in the town meeting. Here political leaders use the public sphere to stage publicity and win acclaim for the policy decisions they have made.
Politicians use the public sphere to generate an aura of legitimacy around their decisions.
Basking in this aura, the politicians hide the fact that their decisions have been made above the heads of the people. Of course, there is a third approach to the public sphere. Individuals and groups can use the public sphere to generate critical publicity. Ideally, through such discussion they ensure that the decisions taken by political leaders reflect the concerns of the people. The events in Columbus, Ohio are significant because for an instant, people took on the role of public critics.