Crisis of command: : Theorizing value in new media

• Autores: Brett Caraway
• Localización: Communication Theory, ISSN-e 1468-2885, Vol. 26, Nº. 1, 2016, págs. 64-81
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Theorists of free labor have argued that users produce value directly for capital through unwaged participation in online social media platforms. I argue that this interpretation of value is misguided. I begin with a brief overview of the labor theory of value as it has been developed by political economists in the context of new media. I then use Marxian crisis theory to demonstrate the limitations of the concept of free labor. I also elaborate how value is created within media markets through a complex set of interactions among media firms, market researchers, advertisers, finance capital, and unwaged content producers. I conclude with a discussion of the consequences of free labor theory for Marxian politics.