This thesis provides a trio of case studies to examine the rise of peer-production media, and the effects of peer-production media on the public sphere in the networked environment. If first attempts to blend theoretical considerations of alternative media, the public sphere and Internet-based peer-production into a basic theoretical form for consideration of peer-production media. Then case studies of digg.com, Newsvine.com and OhMyNews.com provide an exploration into this developing model for content creation and editing to reflect upon how the peer-production paradigm may affect the future of news. |