Henry Jenkins Convergence Culture

"Welcome to convergence culture, where old and new media collide" (H Jenkins 2006 p.3).

Convergence culture is explained by Jenkins as a "flow of content across multiple media platforms", he also tells us that his book is about the relationship between three concepts - convergence media, participatory culture and collective intelligence.

Jenkins argues that the days when devices were created for solely for one purpose are long gone. He uses many examples throughout his introduction to reinforce his case e.g. he talks about how cell phones are not simply devices that can make phone calls any more. They allow the consumer to surf the internet, download/listen to music, stream live music events and use cameras for photo and video purposes. In fact the simple purpose of making a phone call seems to be the least focused on attribute on the device. He reinforced this claim with his own experience of when he went to stores looking for a cell phone that just made phone calls and was told they don't make them like that anymore. This is what Jenkins called a "Cultural Shift".

In his book Jenkins speculates that the way consumers are utilizing media it will end up that all media artefacts will one day be rolled into one black box he calls this "The Black Box Fallacy". Jenkins believes that we already live in a society where devices are already so close to being everything in one. Although he does state that old media will never die, just the way in which we access it and enjoy it through the technological mediums will change.

"Delivery technologies become obsolete and get replaced; media, on the other hand, evolve." (H Jenkins 2006 p.19).

The fact Jenkins emphasizes during this introduction is that convergence is coming and there is nothing anyone can do about it, so we will have to get accustomed to it.


References:

Henry Jenkins (2006) Where Old and New Media Collide, Introduction "Worship at the Altar of Convergence" p.1-25

Image: http://kelger.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/technological-convergence.html

Convergence Culture

The rise of convergence in the media industry could arguably be one of the most important creative movements in history, if not the 21st century. What was once exclusively the domain of a select few in the industry, it is now possible for anybody to create, publish and critique their own productions though a single device.

“...Convergence culture, where old and new media collide, where grass roots and corporate media intersect, where the power of the media producer and the power of the media consumer interact in unpredictable ways.” (Jenkins: 2006, 2)

Media platforms are being revolutionised, as their ‘all-inclusive’ nature develops. Where even a decade ago, it was essential to use many separate devices to create a respectable production, it is now possible to do everything, right down to editing, on a mobile phone. The portable and all inclusive nature of modern phones allow us to capture much more of the world practically, and simply. BBC World News recently experimented by filming an entire report on an iPhone. [2] Essentially, this makes the camera, lighting, sound and accompanying crew redundant, by a device that can fit in the palm of said crew's hands. The fact that the worlds largest broadcaster is showing interest in convergence is significant. It closes the gap between what a major corporation can produce, in comparison to the average person. 

Today, the PC has become a window to the world, both gripping and insightful. Web surfers can download and share music, television shows, games and books, without moving from their chair. The nature of convergence culture, and the internets influence on it is perhaps best reflected by one of its early examples. ‘Bert is Evil,’ a simple joke image, edited in a bedroom, slowly became an international controversy due to its misuse and provocative nature. 

References:

[1] Jenkins, Henry | Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide | 2006, NY University Press

[2] BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/blogcollegeofjournalism/posts/Filming-for-TV-on-iPhones-in-Nepal-a-balancing-act-worth-the-risk 

[3] Image 1: http://nikkikavanagh.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/convergence-culture-convenience-culture/

[4] Image 2: http://convergencecultureblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/bert-is-evil-consequences-of.html

Convergence Culture

We live in a world which is ever changing. One spectacular creation which is advancing faster than anything else is the media. For millions of people today the media and the internet are idols, they worship the content and communications which are available to them at the click of a button. Mobile phones are no longer devices which only allow you to make calls and send text messages. They are now equipped with cameras, MP3 players, organisers, games, internet explorers and libraries full of books. This is an example of converged media.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0fqH4r61zk 

Jenkin's writes, that convergence culture is 'where old and new media collide.' (Jenkins, 2008, Pg. 2) Just as the automobile converged with the horse and cart and the television converged with radio, the smart-phone converged with the telegram. 'Convergence is an old concept taking on new meaning.' (Jenkins, 2008, Pg. 6) New media do not abolish old media, they intersect and become a new advanced media. Convergence is 'the idea that because of progress of technology various different types of media such as the television, newspapers and radio are combining into a single media, for example, television and computer technology are increasingly becoming the same thing.'  (Online: Youtube, 2013)

        
In his book Jenkins talks about the 'Black Box Fallacy.' It is the idea that all media content will flow through the 'black box' in our living rooms or the little black box in our pockets, i.e. mobile phones. (Jenkins, 2008,) Ray Kurzweil, a director of engineering at Google said 'so what used to fit in a building, i.e. computers, now fits in your pocket i.e. mobile phones, what fits in your pocket now will fit inside a blood cell in 25 years.' (Online: YouTube, 2013)

                                          Figure 1

An important note is that new media are not being banished. 'Rather, their functions and status are being shifted by the introduction of new technologies.' (Jenkins, 2008, Pg. 14) If we think about it, spoken words have not been killed by printed words and the radio has not been killed by television. Old media forms have been required to synchronise with new media, therefore making an even better and more advanced media with more to offer active consumers. (Jenkins, 2008)
In a few years the incredibly advanced media we have today may be just a thing of the past as more shifts in technology will take place and who knows what the future holds.

Books:
Henry Jenkins, 'Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide', 2008, NYU Press

Websites:
Laurence Bolton, 'Convergence Media', 2013, YouTube [Online] Accessed on 8/10/13 Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUlRbx8sX2A
CommKh, 'Convergence Media', 2013, YouTube [Online] Accessed on 8/10/13 Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM8dLz-nmlw
Hudson Millar, 'iPhone Convergence' 2013, YouTube [Online] Accessed 8/10/13 Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0fqH4r61zk 

Images:
Figure 1 - http://www.convergencecatalyst.com/blog/2012/04/02/technology-manifestation-cycles-for-true-convergence/ 'Technology manifestation cycles for 'True Convergence', posted 2/4/2012 [Accessed: 8th October 2013]

Convergence Culture

Convergence Culture, as described by Henry Jenkins is the flow on content across multiple platforms. I understand there to be a Cultural shift as consumers are encouraged to seek out new information and make connections.

We know that the media industries are undergoing a Paradigm shift which often happens. We can assume that new media is going to push old media aside. Though this assumption has been pushed aside by another digital revolutionary, George Gilder, who has dismissed these claims and states that "the computer industry is converging with the television industry in the same way that the auto-mobile converged with the horse and cart". (H. Jenkins, 2006, Page 4)

From reading this first few pages of this book and relating to the first given example regarding Dino Ignacio, we can understand the ease at which someone can spark an international controversy. How he could use such a big media icon (Bert) so publicly and link it to something as far-fetched as Bin Laden's life. We would be perplexed by the amount of Global coverage that Ignacio received.

The New Orleans Media Experience (October '03) had 3 plain messages :
1. Convergence is coming and you better be ready
2. Convergence is harder than it sounds
3. Everyone will survive if everyone works together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TvXsVY695E

Jenkins continues to talk about the "Black Box Fallacy" and that "old Media will never die". He says that the way in which we access old media will die, such as 8-Track and that there is a pull toward more specialized media appliances which coexists with a push towards more generic devices.

"Media convergence is more than just a technological shift, it alters the relationship between existing technologies, industries, markets, genres and audiences." (H. Jenkins, 2006)

References 

1) Convergence Culture, H. Jenkins, 2006
2) Image URL - http://mas110sem22012-lab13.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/media-convergence-essay.html

Convergence Culture Where Old and New Media Collide

"Convergence does not mean ultimate stability or unity" (H Jenkins 2006 p.11). Then, what does Convergence culture mean?

Jenkins explained that convergence culture refers to the "flow of content across multiple media platforms" and argues against the idea of it being mainly understood as a "technological process" combing multiple media functions into one single device (ibid p.3)

Convergence, which Jenkins describes as a 'cultural shift' is when one device has many other features in addition to its original function. In the past, a device would have had one function and fairly little/no additional features, whereas now the devices evolved and carry out other tasks along side its original function. Jenkins uses a very good example in his novel to support his argument. It is undeniable that we have and are still witnessing the clear evolving and development of mobile phones. Year after year mobile phones are carrying out more tasks, you can almost do anything on your mobile phone, to the point we actually forget its original function. Jenkins requested a mobile phone with no additional features (camera, mp3 player etc) and was unable to obtain one as companies stopped producing them claiming "nobody wants them" (ibid p.5). This is an excellent example demonstrating clearly his argument about the cultural shift and the media convergence which we witness today. 

Jenkins also argues that the "old media never die" (ibid p.13) and what actually dies are the "tools that we use to access media content". What Jenkins means is that old media won't disappear, though it changes/evolves and is used in different methods, but still for the same reason, for example, obtaining news online is the same as the news we read on the newspaper, but how we access the media is the only difference. 

References:

Henry Jenkins (2006), Convergence Culture Where Old and New Media Collide, Introduction: "Worship at the Altar of Convergence" pp.1-25

Images: 
1)
http://www.muymovil.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/evolition-of-mobilephoneEdit_thumb555.jpg
Accessed on the date of 08/10/2013

2)
 http://soulclassy.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/newspaper_business_internet_4118851.jpg
Accessed on the date of 08/10/2013 

Convergence Culture

Convergence is the act of old and new media colliding and intersecting with each other in ways which brings together different mediums of delivery into one device. In the past a mobile could only do one thing, call other mobiles. Mobiles now encompass many different forms of media including internet, gaming, video ect. Jenkins definition of convergence is much more complex than this. He uses the term to refer to the ever changing trends in the media world, its relationship with participatory culture and the idea of collective intelligence.

When people are asked to describe the current media landscape they often respond by making a list of the latest technology and tools. Jenkins believes we should focus more on emerging trends and cultural practices rather than focusing on the hardware which would facilitate this convergence. He states that because these practices cut across many different media platforms and cultural communities that they suggest something in the way we live in relation to present day media. He is suggesting that the way we participate or consume this media has an effect on our everyday lives.

"We are entering an era when media will be everywhere. Convergence isn't something that is going to happen one day...Ready or not, we are already living within a convergence culture." (Jenkins, 2008. p.16)

Jenkins is making the point that media convergence affects the way on which we consume media, for example a student doing coursework may have a word document open, browse the web, listen to music as well as a variety of other tasks all at the once.

New forms of media are being put out at an alarming rate, so fast that we barely have time to assess the cultural impact one piece of technology has on us before the next iteration is released. Marshall McLuhan (1969) echoes this thought suggesting that "Media are often put out before they are thought out" (Jenkins, 2006) Jenkins states that old media doesn't necessarily die, what dies is the tools we use to deliver these forms of media, the media itself evolves.

Bibliography

Jenkins, H., 2006. Eight Traits of the New Media Landscape. [Online]
Available at: http://henryjenkins.org/2006/11/eight_traits_of the_new_media.html[Accessed 7th October 2013].

Jenkins, H., 2008. Convergence Culture: Where Old And New Media Collide Revised. New York: NYU Press.

Henry Jenkins: Convergence Culture

Henry Jenkins states in his book Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide that it "is about the relationship between three concepts-media convergence, participatory culture, and collective intelligence"(H.Jenkins 2006 Pg 2). Each of these three concepts are thoroughly looked over through his introduction to his book but there is one in particular that he seems to cling onto more and that is media convergence.

Media convergence is not old media getting thrown away and never seen again because we love the new media so much, in fact it is nothing of the sort. It is like the old media is staying and helping the new media develop, we are not losing the old media at all, we are just simply receiving it in different ways with new tools that are helping shape the ongoing media convergence. Jenkins describes convergence as "the flow of content across multiple media platforms"(H.Jenkins 2006 Pg 2) but then he goes on to state that "sooner or later, the argument goes, all media is going to flow through a single black box"(H.Jenkins 2006 Pg 14). So is that the case that we will end up consuming all our media through one black box? Gaming, news, TV, communication etc all rolled into one device? The closest devices to this black box theory are the newest mobile phones and upcoming games consoles. Mobile phones these days are being created to do everything and it seems like their main function in making and receiving calls is only a small added extra where as their ability to surf the internet and play games is more important and a stronger selling point.

The Media convergence is happening and it is all around us and if we do not accept it we will be left behind.

REFERENCES:
Convergence Culture: Where Old And New Media Collide, Jenkins H, 2006, New York University Press.