Hyperlink Report
In Henry Jenkins’ study, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, published in 2006 by NYU Press, he explores the relationship between new and old media convergence, participatory culture, and collective intelligence. He analyzes how media circulates across different mediums, and how our culture has become participatory between media producers and consumers. Media producers and consumers interact, according to a new set of rules, which Jenkins examines through the processes that make up our ‘Convergence Culture.’ Jenkins describes such processes, as Technological Convergence, Economic Convergence, Social/Organic Convergence, Cultural Convergence, and Global Convergence. The growing convergence culture of new and old media affects both the media producer and consumer, and has the power to transform the media as an ecosystem.
Jenkins claims that media exists in many different forms, and will continue to grow and change through computing and communication. The intersecting media forms and various industries generate profit, which functions in creating this vast culture. He claims that there is not one ‘black box’ that converges all forms of media.
Jenkins observes the changing trends in media forms, looking specifically at how different forms of media engage audience participation, establishing fanbases and at how a single media franchise is distributed and can have an impact in many different media spheres. His study looks at the American television show, Survivor, and specifically researches the subsect of its fan base who search for spoilers. This small section of Survivor’s audience began to influence the production of the show. In response, the show’s production staff began to plant false spoilers within their website, to deliberately throw them off track. This form of convergence interested Jenkins, who found that both the producers and consumers of the media were engaging in and responding to the efforts of the other. Jenkins found that the producer’s and the consumer’s interactions did not disturb Survivor’s fanbase, as the ratings increased with each season of the show.
Jenkins claims that the power of audience participation is significant in the meteoric popularity of another American television show, American Idol. Idol grants the audience the power of voting for their preferred contestants. Jenkins claims that Idol adapted to the changing model of consumer behavior. With the technological advancements, their production is changing. Idol constructed their model and included audience participation to build a relationship with their consumer. Even before the airing of the show, the masses are encouraged to audition, which promotes participation and engagement in the show. When the show airs, viewers become invested in their chosen contestants, and, therefore, become loyal to the franchise, and its sponsors. These consumers create fan clubs for their favored contestant, which follows the singers even after their run on the show has ended. Jenkins analyzes American Idol as a media magnate that has built a sense of community, both nationally and transnationally.
Another form of media convergence that Jenkins studied is the many mediums involved within the Matrix franchise. Jenkins states that The Matrix is more of an experience than a film. Besides the trilogy of films, there is a website, comic, videogame. These different mediums are referential of each other, and all contribute to the larger narrative. The Matrix fandom is vast; many people contribute to the online medium with fan-fiction, others create short Matrix films, and through the videogame, people can immerse themselves in the fictional world of the film. Viewers can contribute to and engage in this world, which makes them more likely to continue consuming in all The Matrix’s content. The Matrix franchise embodies Jenkins’ notion of transmedia. The consumer must engage in all these different mediums to gain the full Matrix experience. Fans engage in across these different media platforms, which is multiplatform convergence.
Jenkins’ study is comprehensive and explores the new world of media that has arisen from all of the social networking sites and digital mediums. His response to the rising pessimism in our media-centric culture is refreshing. As opposed to critics our changing society, Jenkins encourages the public’s contribution in popular culture, to argue against censorship, and to promote media literacy education. He believes that this will help society and children develop the necessary skills to engage in their culture. He acknowledges his controversial claim that increasing participation in media, but supports it with facts and evidence that prove convergence of the producer and the consumer is advantageous economically, socially and culturally. He claims that the politics of participation creates a collective bargaining power between the producer and the consumer. Through consumption communities, the consumers control the ways in which they consume media and participate in these mediums. Jenkins argues that such collective advocacy communities and groups can, by sharing their ideas and opinions, make media producers more responsive to their consumers.
Overall, Convergence Culture is an interesting introduction to the interactivity between producer and consumer culture. However, it is important to note the date in which this study was published, being in 2006. In the past decade since Jenkins published his research, much about our media culture has changed, new digital mediums have been introduced, and producers can communicate directly with their consumers with greater ease. Although, big corporations may not be as receptive to individual consumers’ participation through digital forms, because they can reach the masses through social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook.
Bibliography
Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York University Press, 2006.
