Criticism of Communication Studies Based on a New Form of Production: the Perspective of the MCN Model in the Internet Content Production

Multi-Channel Network (MCN) generally refers to any entity or organization that assists content creators in achieving commercial monetization, originating from the revenue-sharing model of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) launched by YouTube in the United States in 2007. In 2016, the concept of 'Multi-Channel Network' was introduced to China and quickly localized, forming the 'MCN business model' that integrates multi-channel network organizations with Professional Generated Content (PGC). Unlike the YPP's 'website-influencer' revenue-sharing model, the Chinese 'MCN business model' expands the revenue-sharing subjects by enabling stable commercial monetization for every participant involved in content production on the platform. As a new production form characterized by the participation of multiple entities and content monetization, the 'MCN business model' serves as a dynamic medium connecting the virtual and real worlds. However, content production within multi-channel networks is often rife with issues related to capital expansion, consumerism, and capitalist ideology, which have not received adequate attention from academia. Therefore, this paper focuses on the phenomenon of multi-channel networked production of internet content, exploring the new challenges brought about by contemporary communication technologies from the critical perspectives of historical materialism and political economy.