The Corporate Colonization of Online Attention and the Marginalization of Critical Communication?

This article provides a general exploration of the argument that the Internet’s potential for extending strong democratic culture through critical communication is being undermined by a corporate colonization of cyberspace. The article investigates which sites are attracting the attention of participants seeking public content and interaction. The investigation finds that large corporate portals and commercial media sites are dominating online attention for news, information, and interaction, privileging consumer content and practices while marginalizing many voices and critical forms of participation. This situation threatens to limit the Internet’s contribution to the expansion of democratic culture. More research is needed to identify exactly what is being represented on which sites and how different groups are participating. However, the general colonization trend seems clear, and this article concludes by considering public policy options and civil society initiatives that may increase the visibility of marginalized voices and critical communication online.