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In the context of a Critique of the Political Economy of the Media, this article exemplifies the fundamental effects of the globally dominant capitalist private ownership of media companies on media development, journalism, and the public sphere. Selected works by Marx and Engels as well as works from developments of the approaches of the "New Reading of Marx" and "Western Marxism" form the theoretical-methodological basis. Characteristic of capitalism is a mutually conditioning relationship between the socio-economic base and the political-legal superstructure, which makes the "abolition" of private property and the associated relations of domination and power almost impossible. Therefore, possibilities of a de-capitalisation and de-commodification of journalism and the public sphere based on non-capitalist forms of ownership will be discussed. A special chance of realisation is seen for academic publications without capitalist publishing houses that is feasible because knowledge production takes place at public universities. Finally, a change of strategy is suggested that takes us out of the bourgeois-liberal trap of criticism and hope towards the development of media and social theories as well as humans' active participation in the organisation of an independent content-based media praxis, which can be conducive to a transformation towards a socialist societal formation.

Approaches to the critique of the political economy of communication in society belong to the "forgotten theories" in media and communication studies. But in view of the unmistakable structural change of a media industry "unleashed" by deregulation, privatisation, digitalisation, concentration, globalisation, etc., it seems from an academic perspective necessary to analyse the development of the media industry in close connection with the equally unmistakable general development of an "unleashed" capitalism. This article therefore shows that the analysis of the development processes of capitalism as the undoubtedly globally dominant economic and social system from a political economy perspective makes it possible to analyse, explain, and partly forecast the economisation or commercialisation process in the media industry in an academically appropriate way with regard to its causes, forms, consequences, and further development. Theoretical explanations are offered by the further developments of the analysis and critique of contemporary capitalism based on Marxs critique of the political economy as a historical-materialist analysis of society. In doing so, the permanent fundamental characteristics, modes of functioning and "regularities" of the capitalist mode of production and the capitalist formation of society are analysed in connection with the particularities of the current capitalisation process in the media industry. ; (VLID)6423720

This article presents foundations of the analysis of media concentration from the perspective of the approach the critique of the political economy of the media and communication. It outlines the dangers and problems of media concentration, discusses the question of how to measure media concentration, identifies different types of media concentration, and gives a systematic overview of empirical studies of media concentration. As a result of the country comparison on a theoretical (macro) level with an analytically required high level of abstraction, first and foremost identities, commonalities and similarities with regard to the development of media concentration including its causes and consequences can be recognised. The author argues that media concentration also needs to be theorised. The paper distinguishes and discusses two such theoretical approaches: apologetic-normative competition theories of media concentration and critical-empirical theories of media concentration. Critical-empirical theories of media concentration situate media concentration in the context of the development of capitalism, which requires to use the critique of the political economy as theoretical foundation.

Approaches to the critique of the political economy of communication in society belong to the "forgotten theories" in media and communication studies. But in view of the unmistakable structural change of a media industry "unleashed" by deregulation, privatisation, digitalisation, concentration, globalisation, etc., it seems from an academic perspective necessary to analyse the development of the media industry in close connection with the equally unmistakable general development of an "unleashed" capitalism. This article therefore shows that the analysis of the development processes of capitalism as the undoubtedly globally dominant economic and social system from a political economy perspective makes it possible to analyse, explain, and partly forecast the economisation or commercialisation process in the media industry in an academically appropriate way with regard to its causes, forms, consequences, and further development. Theoretical explanations are offered by the further developments of the analysis and critique of contemporary capitalism based on Marx's critique of the political economy as a historical-materialist analysis of society. In doing so, the permanent fundamental characteristics, modes of functioning and "regularities" of the capitalist mode of production and the capitalist formation of society are analysed in connection with the particularities of the current capitalisation process in the media industry.

Approaches to the critique of the political economy of communication in society belong to the "forgotten theories" in media and communication studies. But in view of the unmistakable structural change of a media industry "unleashed" by deregulation, privatisation, digitalisation, concentration, globalisation, etc., it seems from an academic perspective necessary to analyse the development of the media industry in close connection with the equally unmistakable general development of an "unleashed" capitalism. This article therefore shows that the analysis of the development processes of capitalism as the undoubtedly globally dominant economic and social system from a political economy perspective makes it possible to analyse, explain, and partly forecast the economisation or commercialisation process in the media industry in an academically appropriate way with regard to its causes, forms, consequences, and further development. Theoretical explanations are offered by the further developments of the analysis and critique of contemporary capitalism based on Marxs critique of the political economy as a historical-materialist analysis of society. In doing so, the permanent fundamental characteristics, modes of functioning and "regularities" of the capitalist mode of production and the capitalist formation of society are analysed in connection with the particularities of the current capitalisation process in the media industry.

Ausgehend von einer theoretisch-methodischen Fundierung einer wissenschaftlichen Ideologiekritik werden exemplarisch die Produktions-, Distributions- und Verwertungsverhältnisse von Wissenschaftskommunikation analysiert. Im Mittelpunkt steht die Kritik an Verlags-Geschäftsmodellen zu Open Access-Publikationen, die von Wissenschaft und Politik propagiert und implementiert werden. Damit werden wissenschaftliche Publikationen weiterhin als Waren gehandelt. Die bestehenden Herrschafts- und Machtverhältnisse werden reproduziert. Demgegenüber werden die emanzipatorischen Potenziale einer auf Basis der Digitalisierung von Produktion und Distribution möglichen nicht-kommerziellen Wissenschaftskommunikation aufgezeigt. ; (VLID)5459937

Starting from a theoretical and methodological foundation of an academic ideology critique, the production, distribution and valorisation of science communication will be analysed in exemplary fashion. The focus is on the criticism of publishing houses business models in the sphere of open Access publishing. These models are propagated and implemented by science and politics. Thus, academic publications continue to be traded as commodities. The existing relationships of power and domination are thereby reproduced. In contrast, the emancipatory potential of non-commercial science communication based on the digitalisation of production and distribution is shown. ; (VLID)5097413

Starting from a theoretical and methodological foundation of an academic ideology critique, the production, distribution and valorisation of science communication will be analysed in exemplary fashion. The focus is on the criticism of publishing houses' business models in the sphere of open Access publishing. These models are propagated and implemented by science and politics. Thus, academic publications continue to be traded as commodities. The existing relationships of power and domination are thereby reproduced. In contrast, the emancipatory potential of non-commercial science communication based on the digitalisation of production and distribution is shown.

Ausgehend von einer theoretisch-methodischen Fundierung einer wissenschaftlichen Ideologiekritik werden exemplarisch die Produktions-, Distributions- und Verwertungsverhältnisse von Wissenschaftskommunikation analysiert. Im Mittelpunkt steht die Kritik an Verlags-Geschäftsmodellen zu Open Access-Publikationen, die von Wissenschaft und Politik propagiert und implementiert werden. Damit werden wissenschaftliche Publikationen weiterhin als Waren gehandelt. Die bestehenden Herrschafts- und Machtverhältnisse werden reproduziert. Demgegenüber werden die emanzipatorischen Potenziale einer auf Basis der Digitalisierung von Produktion und Distribution möglichen nicht-kommerziellen Wissenschaftskommunikation aufgezeigt. ; ö

The goal of this article is to explain long term restructurations and transformations of the media industry. In order to do so, the article uses theory elements of a critique of the political economy of the media. The paper is a contribution to the development of theoretical approaches that provide a theoretical analysis of the media in capitalism based on Karl Marxs concepts. The capitalist mode of production is the primary driving force of media corporations' strategic action and of the media economys structural transformations. Factors that are of particular relevance in such structural transformations include profit orientation, capital accumulation, capitalist crises, state policies, behaviour of producers and consumers, private property, class relations, the antagonism between productive forces and relations of production, the antagonism of variable and constant capitalism, the antagonism of use-value and exchange-value, and competition. Competition, capitals need to survive, and capitalisms immanent crisis potentials force corporations try to create innovations such as new digital technologies. Informatisation, which includes the use of the computer as universal machine and the Internet, is the provisionally latest stage in the development of the productive forces that has affected media technologies and the media industry. The capital-driven structural digital transformation of the media industry has resulted in the convergence of production, distribution and consumption, the creation of a variety of non-tangible digital products, digital rationalisation and automation, and the universal real subsumption of labour under capital. These developments have also created the potential potentials for overcoming the capitalist character of the media economy and advancing decommodification based on the emergence of a universal digital media system. ; (VLID)4593218

Ausgehend von einer theoretisch-methodischen Fundierung einer wissenschaftlichen Ideologiekritik werden exemplarisch die Produktions-, Distributions- und Verwertungsverhältnisse von Wissenschaftskommunikation analysiert. Im Mittelpunkt steht die Kritik an Verlags-Geschäftsmodellen zu Open Access-Publikationen, die von Wissenschaft und Politik propagiert und implementiert werden. Damit werden wissenschaftliche Publikationen weiterhin als Waren gehandelt. Die bestehenden Herrschafts- und Machtverhältnisse werden reproduziert. Demgegenüber werden die emanzipatorischen Potenziale einer auf Basis der Digitalisierung von Produktion und Distribution möglichen nicht-kommerziellen Wissenschaftskommunikation aufgezeigt. ; (VLID)4641332

Ausgehend von einer theoretisch-methodischen Fundierung einer wissenschaftlichen Ideologiekritik werden exemplarisch die Produktions-, Distributions- und Verwertungsverhältnisse von Wissenschaftskommunikation analysiert. Im Mittelpunkt steht die Kritik an Verlags-Geschäftsmodellen zu Open Access-Publikationen, die von Wissenschaft und Politik propagiert und implementiert werden. Damit werden wissenschaftliche Publikationen weiterhin als Waren gehandelt. Die bestehenden Herrschafts- und Machtverhältnisse werden reproduziert. Demgegenüber werden die emanzipatorischen Potenziale einer auf Basis der Digitalisierung von Produktion und Distribution möglichen nicht-kommerziellen Wissenschaftskommunikation aufgezeigt.