Styles of writing in the public sphere. Modern journalism according to Umberto Eco in comparison with ancient reflections regarding poetry

The aim of the article is to describe the relationship between literature, journalism, the public sphere and the private sphere. At first, the paper presents the current concepts of research in the mentioned categories (Habermas, Eco, Pinker, Lippmann) and next confronts them with the ancient Horace’s literary reflection. Discussing the evolution of journalism, (especially newspapers industry) and worldwide mass communication we focus primarily on writing styles developing in different periods of time in the public sphere. This piece is an attempt to situate new styles of writing and types of journalism (gonzo journalism, citizen journalism, literary journalism) in the context of literature. Presenting an overview of the contemporary press with critical comment on its quality, we outline the image of the profession of journalism and what is essential for a good media system.