30% European content – A study on policy discourses, news media frames and algorithmic awareness with regard to the EU quota at the case of the SVOD platform Netflix

Abstract

The significant growth rate of video on-demand (VOD) platforms has disrupted markets, and triggered an EU policy response in form of a 30% quota on European content. This measure implemented in 2018 under the creative and cultural policies, is currently underexplored from an academic perspective. This investigation therefore seeks to outline a research project, divided in three areas, that shall examine the policy discourse on EU level, the media response from EU member states and the logic of algorithmic awareness, display and diversity. A central objective would be to locate, if the quota is grounded in the economic value (protection of the audiovisual sector) or the social value (consumer protection) and if any duality of objectives, in fact, should be contested due to aspects of mutual exclusion. Generally, the research is based on the assumption that the construction and interpretation of algorithmic personalization is not finalized from a sociotechnical perspective. This investigation therefore seeks to contribute to new knowledge and opens an academic discussion marrying a cultural policy and sociotechnical approach to the platformization of culture