Michael Latzer

Mediamatik - die Konvergenz von Telekommunikation, Computer und Rundfunk

Einfuhrung - Entwicklungsschritte im elektronischen Kommunikationssektor - Mediamatik: Ausgangsbedingungen und politisch-okonomische Strategien - Der Mediamatik-Baukasten: Technik- und Dienste-Entwicklung - Mediamatik-Analyse: Herausforderungen und Ansatzpunkte - Mediamatik-Politik: Grundzuge und Optionen - Resumee.

Information and communication technology innovations: radical and disruptive?

Information and communication technology innovations (ICT) are considered to be of central importance to social and economic developments. Various innovation theories offer classifications to predict and assess their impact. This article reviews the usefulness of selected approaches and their application in the convergent communications sector. It focuses on the notion of disruption, the comparatively new distinction between disruptive and sustaining innovations, and examines how it is related to other innovation-theoretical typologies. According to the literature, there is a high frequency of disruptive changes in the field of internet protocol-based innovations in combination with wireless technology. A closer analysis reveals that these classifications and assessments not only differ in detail but are even contradictory. The article explains these differences by highlighting delicate choices that have to be taken by analysts applying the disruption concept. It argues that its applicability is comparatively low in the convergent communications sector and generalizations of single-firm assessments are hardly valid.

Governance by algorithms: reality construction by algorithmic selection on the Internet

This article explores the governance by algorithms in information societies. Theoretically, it builds on (co-)evolutionary innovation studies in order to adequately grasp the interplay of technological and societal change and combines these with institutional approaches to incorporate governance by technology or rather software as institutions. Methodologically, it draws from an empirical survey of Internet-based services that rely on automated algorithmic selection, a functional typology derived from it, and an analysis of associated potential social risks. It shows how algorithmic selection has become a growing source of social order, of a shared social reality in information societies. It argues that – similar to the construction of realities by traditional mass media – automated algorithmic selection applications shape daily lives and realities, affect the perception of the world, and influence behavior. However, the co-evolutionary perspective on algorithms as institutions, ideologies, intermediaries, and actors highlights differences that are to be found, first, in the growing personalization of constructed realities and, second, in the constellation of involved actors. Altogether, compared to reality construction by traditional mass media, algorithmic reality construction tends to increase individualization, commercialization, inequalities, and deterritorialization and to decrease transparency, controllability, and predictability.

Selbst- und Ko-Regulierung im Mediamatiksektor

Die vorgelegte kumulative Dissertation besteht aus neun Publikationen zum Thema Selbst- und Ko- regulierung im Mediamatiksektor, die im Zeitraum 2002 bis 2011 aus verschiedenen Forschungsprojekten hervorgegangen sind. Im Zentrum der Untersuchungen stehen «alternative Regulierungsformen» die durch die Einbindung privater Akteure in Regulierungsprozesse gekennzeichnet sind (Selbst- und Ko-Regulierung). Die Arbeiten prasentieren Forschungsergebnisse zur Anwendung alternativer Regulierungsformen im konvergenten Kommunikationssektor in Osterreich und auf internationaler Ebene sowie Ansatze zur Evaluierung alternativer Regulierungsinstitutionen. Analysen umfassen die begriffliche und konzeptionelle Einordnung von Selbst- und Ko-Regulierung, Anwendungs- und Diffusionsmuster alternativer Regulierungsinstitutionen und die damit verbundenen demokratischen Implikationen (Legitimitat, Interessenausgleich), Fragen nach ihrer Leistung zur Umsetzung offentlicher Interessen (Erfolgsbewertung, Erfolgsbedingungen) sowie Untersuchungen zur strategischen Nutzung alternativer Regulierungsformen (Governance/ Regulatory Choice). Die Arbeiten liefern Erkenntnisse uber das Governance-Arrangement im Kommunikationssektor mit denen die regulatorischen Beitrage privater Akteure in ihrem Zusammenspiel mit staatlichen Institutionen herausgearbeitet werden. Die kommunikationswissenschaftliche Forschung uber Medienpolitik und Medienstrukturen wird durch die «Governance-Perspektive», mit der Regulierungsinstitutionen jenseits des Staates berucksichtigt sind, gewinnbringend erweitert. Die Analysen bleiben jedoch nicht bei einer rein deskriptiven Beschreibung von Governance-Strukturen stehen, sondern werden auch darauf ausgerichtet, Entwicklungsprozesse zu erfassen, zu erklaren, zu bewerten und zu prognostizieren. Dahingehend liefert ein «erklarender Evaluierungsansatz» richtungsweisende Grundlagen. Der analytische Wert des Ansatzes liegt in einer theoriegeleiteten Modellierung von Zusammenhangen zwischen politischen und okonomischen Kontextfaktoren, institutionellen Merkmalen alternativer Regulierungsorganisationen, ihrer Performance und der Rolle des Staates zur Bewaltigung regulatorischer Herausforderungen. Darin liegt der praktische Nutzen des Ansatzes, der fur systematische Ex-ante- und Ex-post-Evaluierungen alternativer Regulierungsarrangements angewendet werden kann. Self- and Co-regulation in the mediamatics sector is a PhD thesis consisting of nine publications which derived from several research projects conducted between 2002 and 2011. The projects and the papers center around the phenomenon of «alternative modes of regulation» which are marked by involvement of private actors in regulatory processes (self- and co-regulation). The research provides results on the application of alternative modes of regulation institutions in the convergent communications sector and innovative approaches for assessing alternative regulatory institutions. Analyses cover a detailed classification of self- and co-regulation, the patterns of application and diffusion of alternative regulatory institutions and related democratic implications (legitimacy, balance of interests), questions regarding their contribution to the achievement of public policy objectives and analysis of the strategic use of alternative modes of regulation by industry and politics (governance choice). The work provides findings on the governance arrangement in the communications sector with a special emphasis on the interplay between regulatory contributions of public and private institutions. By applying the «governance perspective», the traditional research on media politics and media structures is expanded by taking into account the regulatory institutions beyond the state. Investigations are not limited to the descriptive analysis of governance arrangements however. They are aligned towards grasping, explaining, assessing and predicting processes of development. This is accomplished by means of an «explanatory evaluation approach». The analytical value of this approach lies in a theory-led modelling of interrelations between political and economic contextual factors of alternative regulatory arrangements, their institutional/organisational characteristics, their performance and the role of the state to cope with regulatory challenges. The analytical approach is of practical value for research and policy-making because it allows for systematic ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of alternative regulatory arrangements.

Modeling the second-level digital divide: A five-country study of social differences in Internet use

Based on representative surveys on Internet use, this article advances comparative research on the second-level digital divide by modeling Internet usage disparities for five countries with narrowing access gaps. Four core Internet usage types are constructed and predicted by sociodemographic variables in a structural model. Overall, the findings confirm the recently identified shift in the digital divide from access to usage in five further countries. Results show that sociodemographics alone account for up to half of the variance in usage in these high-penetration countries, with age being the strongest predictor. Measurement invariance tests indicate that a direct comparison is only valid between three of the five countries explored. Methodologically, this points to the indispensability of such tests for unbiased comparative research.

Europäisierung durch Medien: Ansätze und Erkenntnisse der Öffentlichkeitsforschung

Der zunehmenden Europaisierung von Okonomie und Politik, so eine gangige These, sei bislang noch keine gleichwertige Europaisierung der politischen Offentlichkeit gefolgt (vgl. Gerhards 1993; 2000). Das „Offentlichkeitsdefizit“ der Europaischen Union wird haufig beklagt. EU-Politik bleibe im Vergleich zu nationaler Politik bislang intransparent und von Medien und dem Publikum nur wenig beachtet. „Zu oft werden wichtige eiJropaische Themen nicht breit genug debattiert, bevor sie entschieden werden. Zu gros erscheint vielen Menschen der Regulierungsdrang der EU, zu unubersichtlich die Entscheidungsverfahren und zu anonym die Entscheidungstrager“, konstatieren sieben europaische Staatschefs in einer gemeinsamen Erklarung1 in Reaktion auf die Referenden in Frankreich und den Niederlanden, in denen im Fruhjahr 2005 der EU-Verfassungsvertrag abgelehnt worden war.

European mediamatics policies: Coping with convergence and globalization

Growing convergence and globalization in the communications sector towards a changed societal communications system, which can be described as mediamatics1 (media, telematics), poses far-reaching challenges to policy makers worldwide. This article provides an overview of convergence strategies in Europe, puts it in the context of related initiatives, and highlights the partially hidden power politics of convergence, which, alongside arguments on the functional level, forms a crucial factor in national and supranational developments.

The economics of algorithmic selection on the Internet

Algorithms have come to shape our daily lives and realities. They change the perception of the world, affect our behavior by influencing our choices, and are an important source of social order. Algorithms on the Internet have significant economic implications in newly emerging markets and for existing markets in various sectors. A wide range of our daily activities in general and our media consumption in particular are increasingly shaped by algorithms operating behind the scenes. This chapter offers a typology of applications based on algorithmic selection and provides a basic input-throughput-output model in order to show the functioning and economic purposes of the different types of algorithmic selection. It explains theoretical perspectives applied for its analysis and presents results from market analyses. Different phases of the markets for applications using algorithmic selection are shown, their structures and concentration tendencies explored. After a discussion of business models of algorithmic selection with an emphasis on value proposition, value creation and revenue stream the chapter examines selected implications of algorithmic selection for traditional media markets and the incumbents’ profitability. An identification of risks, such as possible violations of basic rights, is complemented by a discussion of regulatory challenges and available governance options.

EU competition policy and market power control in the mediamatics era

This paper addresses the controversial subject of convergence in the communications sector and analyzes its regulatory implications for European competition policy with special emphasis on market power control. We start with a brief description of the changed societal communications system of the information society, called mediamatics (media and telematics). We will then turn to the analysis of competition policy and market power issues, applying an integrated mediamatics approach. First, we highlight some major characteristics of the European competition policy framework. Subsequently, our analysis concentrates on the challenges posed by convergence and we offer some conclusions regarding the reform of these policy fields.

Caring is not enough: the importance of Internet skills for online privacy protection

ABSTRACT This article explains Internet users’ self-help activities in protecting their privacy online using structural equation modeling. Based on a representative survey of Swiss Internet users, it reveals past experiences with privacy breaches as a strong predictor of current protective behavior. Further, in line with the ‘privacy paradox’ argument, caring about privacy (privacy attitudes) alone does not necessarily result in substantial self-protection. Most strikingly, however, general Internet skills are key in explaining users’ privacy behavior. These skills enable users to reduce risks of privacy loss while obtaining the benefits from online activities that increasingly depend on the revelation of personal data. Consequently, Internet skills are an essential starting point for public policies regarding users’ self-help in privacy protection.