Perhaps the best way to address the topic of corporate power in the current media atmosphere is to first look at the present state of corporate influence on the internet and silmultaneously envision an alternative state of affairs that eliminates any semblance of corporate control over either content or network structure. While this approach focuses heavily on online content it is not intended to ignore the role of corporations in determining content in other mediums, such as cable, radio, or print. These issues will be examined separately.
At one time the internet was imagined as a purely academic resource, a crucial purpose of the technology was the dissemination of peer reviewed information. However, during the web’s proliferation into the home it became abundantly clear that the content produced was not purely academic or in many cases accurate. This fact begs the question of whether or not corporately produced content was a driving force behind the adoption of the internet by individuals. Did corporations fulfill a niche for professionally produced content? And furthermore, if true, does this indicate that the internet is subject to the same types of concerns that consumers have about any media technology (i.e. the quality of the content, the number of users, etc)?
Many times the role of corporations in cyberspace is classified as detrimental in regards to the ability of smaller users to produce relevant content, but if we can demonstrate that corporations have an important role in the adoption of a media technology, such as the internet, it adds a layer of complexity to our investigation. This proves important with respect to our overall goal since we are not attempting to make normative statements about corporations and media technology but rather observe and document the ways corporations change and shape new media.
Before we delve into the ways that corporate power presents itself today online I would like to ask if you think this point is valid. Could the internet be what it is today without the investment of private entities? And if not, in what way would it be different? Clear answers to these questions will help direct us towards a better assessment of the most prominent uses of corporate power on the internet and why it proves effective given the historical context. What do you think?
-Eamon
May 11, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I think that a crucial point to consider is whether the Internet is truly different from other mass media. According to W. Lance Bennett, “The Internet is just another communication medium. Admittedly, the Net has a number of distinctive design features and capabilities, but these differences do not inherently or necessarily change who we are or what we do together” (p. 19). The Internet, its platforms, and other new media technologies allow an unprecedented level of feedback and encourage participation from groups that formerly would have been unable to have their voices heard. Certainly these technologies have presented new capabilities. But in regard to corporate power and the construction of a business/revenue model it seems that the Internet shares some characteristics with traditional media.
Could the Internet have developed to the point at which it’s at without the financial and legal structure that has been provided by corporations such as Yahoo, Microsoft, and Google? These corporations and those organizations that advertise with them are unarguably the financial backing for the Internet. This has given them the power to dictate the content that is accessible to users. Google earns revenue by selling keywords to advertisers (Google AdWords), which in turn places those advertisers’ content at the top of a user’s search. There is a multitude of user content which can be housed by the Internet, but is this content as prominent as that generated by corporations and advertisers?
For W. Lance Bennett’s work: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tiFY59xGHBkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA17&dq=corporate+power+new+media&ots=N9_a4RIbWK&sig=cUoMe1RA4GakK2cAU6U78YdMWg4#PPA17,M1
For information about Google AdWords: https://adwords.google.com/select/Login