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Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide
by Henry Jenkins
Henry Jenkins explores the convergence of old and new media.
Dictionary.com defines media as “a means of communication, such as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, which reach or influence people widely.”
When these mediums were introduced to society, they provided the means for individuals to share information with one another, serving as the de facto means for the form of mass communication that we enjoy today.
However, while those building blocks are still existent in today’s society, technological advances, led primarily by the increasing importance of the internet, have allowed individuals to use these building blocks in entirely new ways: people can watch television via personal computers rather than the regular boxes that are now available, individuals can now listen to the radio through portable devices like IPods rather than large transistor boxes.
Henry Jenkins, the Founder and Director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT, attempts to explain these changing media needs in his book, Convergence Culture.
Along with detailing the means in which old media standbys and technology intersect, he argues how this ‘convergence’ will become increasingly important in American popular culture, as media executives currently struggle to figure out what means are necessary to attract an audience tired of the old ways of entertainment.
Jenkins begins the book by detailing three concepts that will be repeated throughout the book: media convergence, participatory culture and collective intelligence. According to the author, media convergence refers to “every story being told, every brand being sold and every consumer being courted across differing media platforms.” Participatory culture refers to media consumers who choose to interact with media officials rather than take in what they distribute. Finally, collective intelligence refers to “an alternative source of media power,” essentially, individuals who join forces to let their opinions known on differing types of media. An example of this can be a group of individuals who are so dissatisfied with a television show that they rally around a group to have it canceled, and eventually succeed.
The author explores these three themes throughout each of the book’s five chapters which explore topics such as the anatomy of a knowledge community, how individuals are being sold on reality television, how politics and pop culture are intersecting, the intersection of grassroots creativity and the media industry, and media literacy. Throughout these and other chapters, Jenkins takes the opportunity to explore his three central concepts; for instance, he discusses spoilers, individuals who unearth information before it is made available to the public, in relation to the popular television show Survivor. Jenkins then introduces readers to writers who pen their own Harry Potter tales as control of the series is in flux, as well as the influence of The Matrix in terms of new types of storytelling.
These topics discussed by Jenkins highlight his central point: various forms of media, computers, television, radio, the internet, are converging, and whether or not society can adapt to this challenge will speak volumes of its relevance in the future. He continues by saying that consumers are more than willing to embrace this new convergence, having a network free of administrative control. However, he continues by adding that the media industry also sees opportunities in this ‘convergence’ and will do their best to use it as it sees fit. Jenkins believes that media officials and consumers can work together, though the process will not be perfect.
In reading this book, I was very impressed with Jenkins’s mentioning of media convergence; being familiar with many of his discussion points, including how television show viewers use forums to communicate their opinions, how media industries are hoping to create a “black box” of centralized entertainment, and the rising influence of fan-fiction, I was able to identify with his direction. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in obtaining a general understanding of the future of media culture.
Title: Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide
Author: Henry Jenkins
Publisher: New York University Press
ISBN: 9780814742815
Review written by: Jason Townsend-Rogers
Reviewer's Rating:8
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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