A Quick Look into the Meanings and Implications of Media Convergence and Convergence Culture

1. DEFINING
MEDIA CONVERGENCE
A Quick Look into the Meanings and Implications of
Media Convergence and Convergence Culture
Mass Communication Seminar in Media Convergence | St. Cloud State University

2. To converge
means…

3. Readings
• Rich Gordon, The Meanings and Implications of
Convergence.
• Henry Jenkins, Worship at the Alter of Convergence: A
New Paradigm for Understanding Media Change.
• Vincent Miller, Convergence and the Contemporary
Media Experience.

4. Forms of Convergence
• Technological Convergence
• Regulatory Convergence
• Media Industry Convergence
• Convergence Culture and
Participatory Media

5. Technological Convergence
• Functional convergence
• Trade-off advantages and disadvantages

6. Regulatory Convergence
• Deregulatory strategy to avoid media monopoly
• Telecommunications regulatory reform

7. Media Industry Convergence
• Horizontal and vertical integrations
• Synergy for business operations
• Merger and acquisition

8. Convergence Culture
• Media corporations try to save money + new means of
production and distribution  convergence culture
• Consumer power
• 3 basic elements in emerging convergence culture:
• Cross-media experience & consumption of cultural goods
• Participatory media culture
• Collective intelligence
• Key elements of “Produsage”
• More on convergence culture later

9. Meikle’s Four Dimensions of Convergence
Technological
Social
Industrial
Textual

10. Meikle’s Four Dimensions of Convergence
• Technological: the combination of computing, communications
and content around networked digital media platform
• Industrial: the engagement of established media institutions in
the media space, and the rise of digitally-based companies
such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, and others as significant
media content providers
• Social: the rise of social network media such as Facebook and
the growth of user-generated content
• Textual: the re-use and remixing of media into what has been
termed a “transmedia” model where stories and media content
(sound, images, and written text) are dispersed across multiple
media platform

11. A Closer Look into Media Convergence
• Convergence in media technology (technological convergence)
• Convergence in media organizations

12. Five Meanings of Media Convergence
(for media corporations)
Presentation
/ Storytelling
Information
Gathering
Ownership
Structure
Tactics

13. H. Jenkins on Convergence Culture
• Old media are passive, new media are interactive
• Consumer to have more control over media consumption,
production, and distribution

14. Convergence is consumer centered
• Consumers = media producers
• Not just technological advancement… it’s a cultural shift

15. Convergence is old wine in new bottles
• Old concepts given new meanings
• We don’t have the language of convergence yet

16. Convergence is change / evolution
• A complicated process
• Old media never die
• The Black Box Fallacy

17. Convergence is not an endpoint
• Always in flux
• No universal control(ler)
• We constantly learn how to interact with media content in
new ways

18. Convergence is a cultural phenomenon
• Convergence happens when we use new technologies in
our daily lives (run errands, take selfies, etc.)
• Convergence is both top-down and bottom-up processes,
corporate convergence coexists with grassroots
convergence

19. Further readings: Narang (2012)
Digital Media Convergence: Are the Stakeholders
Listening?
• Understanding consumer media consumption patterns is
key for media stakeholders to stay ahead of the changing
curve
• Focus: TV & online videos production & distribution
• Game changers:
• Consumer electronics sector is blooming
• Compression technology and HD quality videos
• Premium content as a trend
• Consumers as publishers

20. Further readings: Narang (2012)
• What consumer wants:
• Ease of content search & navigation
• Quality content
• Flexibility & control (what & when to watch)
• Ubiquity of content & choice of consumption device
• Right price tag & service personalization
• Socialization of media consumption

21. Further readings: Ito, et al. (2008)
Living and Learning with New Media
• Convergence allows new media to be integrated in the
education and social life of youths
• Two kinds of motivations:
• Friendship-driven practices
• Interest-driven practices
• New media allows for a degree of autonomy and peer-
based learning
• New genres of participation:
• Hanging out
• Messing around
• Geeking out

22. Further readings: Lawson-Borders (2003)
Integrating New Media and Old Media: 7 Observations
• Seven observations of new media convergence to be
used as a strategy for best practices:
• Communication: ongoing conversations about convergence
• Commitment: corporate leaders to commit to changes
• Cooperation: cross-departmental staff working together
• Compensation: additional trainings for staff, pay them well
• Culture: cultural changes within the industry
• Competition: healthy competitions among local markets
• Customer: strive to meet their needs and expectations

23. Discussions
• What are some perks and/or frustrations you have had
•
•
•
•
with recent technological convergence?
What kinds of convergence do you hope to see (or not to
see) in the future? Why so?
Who, in your opinion, drives convergence culture? Is it
media owners/producers, consumers, or the government?
Have you ever had the experience in which your work (as
a media consumer) went “viral” while you least expect it?
In a broader sense, do you think media convergence
promotes diversity and democracy in our society?
Why/how so?

24. DEFINING
MEDIA CONVERGENCE
Thank You.
Mass Communication Seminar in Media Convergence | St. Cloud State University