Work

Beyond the streaming black box: Navigating the textures of access and data secrecy in media industries research

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Global streaming services have reshaped the media landscape, through their business and distribution models, and their unprecedented collection of and control over data. This article examines how researchers navigate data secrecy and access in contemporary media industries research. Building on critiques of the transparency ideal and black box metaphor, we approach data access as an ongoing, textured, and relational process. Drawing on multi-sited and mixed-method research from previous studies, this study maps the fragmented terrain of data access across research into production, platforms , and policy . By synthesizing these previously siloed approaches, we conceptualize varying levels of data secrecy, identify shared challenges, and discuss innovative hacks as well as tried-and-true methods for circumventing these barriers. We conclude by proposing a framework for streaming research founded on collaboration, industry partnerships, and reciprocity, addressing the infrastructural and ethical limits of open science in the streaming era.

Source: New Media & Society

DOI: 10.1177/14614448261433605

Authors: Daphne Rena Idiz, Karin Van Es, Sandra Becker, Hanna Surma

Institutions: University of Toronto Scarborough, Utrecht University

Language: English

Topic: Legal Systems and Institutions

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900