Abstract
This paper applies the Frankfurt School theorists' conceptualization of the culture industry to the internet. First, it describes the culture industry and then it positions the debate surrounding the social impact of the internet in the framework provided by the Frankfurt scholars. This paper argues that the characteristics of the culture industry, such as rationality of production, concentration of power, and homogeneity of products and messages, do not apply to the structural features of the internet. Decentralization, end-to-end reciprocal communication, digital content, and a "commons" facilitate dissent, heterogeneity and liberalization. But increasing online commercialization and centralized control undermine the internet's potential in spheres of production, dissemination and reception.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
37
Issue
1
First Page
3
Last Page
25
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Wojcieszak, Magdalena
(2005)
"Frankfurtschool.com: The Application of the Frankfurt Schools' Critical Scholarship to the Internet,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 37:
No.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol37/iss1/4
Copyright
©2005 Iowa Communication Association
