Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide by Henry Jenkins

Finished reading Henry Jenkin's book Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide few weeks ago. Jenkins is not only the founder of Education Arcade interested in videogames and learning, but also a multifaceted media scholar.





In the beginning of the book, he starts off by explaining the black box fallacy, meaning that sooner or later all media content will flow through one single black box. This lies true as we begin to see the size of our gadgets shrink while allowing use for multi-purposes. See for example our iPhone versus a mobile phone in the 90s. Besides the major call functions, we can now read/send email, watch videos via YouTube, An interesting read which touches points on popular culture and media convergence.


Jenkins uses different case studies to demonstrate how corporations, brands, politicians, educators are changing the way they things in response to cultural shifts to new media. The success of entertainment industry making use of online communities to build relationships with consumers and brand loyalists. In the show Survivors, a group of hardcore fans come together through collective intelligence discuss and learn from each other to unveil secrets about the show before it gets aired. He further analyzes the importance of audience participation in popular culture in American Idol and Harry Potter. Both brands became great success due to its involvement with the audience. While American Idol fans participated in each contestants journey on the show and in voting, Harry Potter enthusiasts started Hogwart societies and practiced creative writing to tell their own Hogwart tales through their own life experiences. Jenkins also covers Sci-fi films such as the Matrix and Star Wars franchises, and how creators were able to prolong the story telling experience through different media channels -- (animations, series, video games) and turn it to revenue opportunities.


As media converge, we are learning that there is no magic formula to succeed in engaging consumers and monetizing. However, Jenkins does make fine points and bring up hot topics in the society we live in today. He leaves the reader something to think about throughout the book. "Don't expect the uncertainties surrounding convergence to be resolved anytime soon. We are entering an era of prolonged transition and transformation in the way media operates. Convergence describes the process by which we will sort through those options. There will be no magical black box that puts everything in order again. Media producers will find their way through their current problems only by renegotiating their relationship with their consumers. Audiences, empowered by these new technologies, occupying a space at the intersection between old and new media, are demanding the right to participate within the culture. Producers who fail to make their peace with this new participatory culture will face declining goodwill and diminished revenues. The resulting struggles and compromises will define the public culture of the future."