This article aims to reflect upon the significance of new technologies of information and communication for democratic liberty. First, it recalls the emancipatory role assigned to the press in the schema of Enlightenment, then records the socio-economic changes which show that our societies no longer fit into this schema. This evolution has its dangers in that it represents a risk of making the judgement of citizens subservient, but this is potentially counterbalanced by the emergence of new practices, vectors of autonomy, made possible by portable recorders and by availability on the Web. The “fifth power” taking shape in this way is called upon to organise itself according to the modalities typical of contemporary democracy.`np pagenum="244"/b