ABSTRACT
Th e tension between the sprawling amount of media production and consumption on one side, and capital concentration and the narrowing of commercial distribution and marketing options on the other, has considerably aff ected how content is produced and consumed, and will most likely intensify further. Th e Internet has already transformed itself substantially over the past two decades, not least in terms of commercialization and monopolization. Consumer convenience and relative indiff erence to these issues make it possible to imagine a future where we would use one search engine and order everything from one online company through its various subsidiaries. Even more than the consolidation of other media forms, the
corporatization of the Internet threatens to undermine the initial promise of the new technology. Th is does not mean that independent media production would completely disappear, but it could become irrelevant. After all, how many viewers watch public access television-in spite of its admirable mission-and how much of an impact does it truly have?
