商營社群媒體的自律與問責：政治經濟學取徑的批判

Self-Regulation and Accountability in Commercial Social Media: A Critique from Political Economy Approach

After the issue of fake news started receiving world-wide attention, the role of social media in disseminating fake news has also been widely discussed and debated. Under pressure to maintain an equilibrium between freedom of speech and social responsibility, commercial social media have attempted to put in place several perfunctory self-discipline measures as a response to outside scrutiny. The study intends to examine the operation mechanism of commercial social media and the public sphere it shapes from the perspectives of political economy. It hopes to clarify the meanings and limitations of two types of social media concepts: participatory and corporate. By illuminating the nature and functions of social media, the future direction of the accountability mechanisms within social media can be established. Finally, the possibilities and challenges encountered by the public social media under the current information environment are discussed.