Publishing, the Internet and the Commons: Debates and Developments

Abstract

This editorial details a few central concerns of contributions to the WPCC special issue on ‘Publishing, the Internet and the Commons’. It outlines the need to consider publishing from a media studies perspective, the growing role of platforms in publishing in all forms and the dangers of continued market concentration for access and diversity. The author considers the special status of publications, their kudos, in scholarly communications in particular and how copyright and commons principles are considered by contributions within the issue suggesting that both a reorientation in values and work on infrastructural practicalities will be needed for a world undertaking more commons-based publishing. An understanding of the present dangers of scholarly publishing being mobilised as a key component of research governance and surveillance underpinned by opaque and inequitable algorithms is also highlighted.