Questions for “Introduction: ‘Worship at the Altar of Convergence’”
to the book Convergence Culture by
Henry Jenkins
1.
Why does convergence happen in the communication
and media fields? What are the two conditions that lead to convergence?
Convergence has occurred throughout history as different
forms of media and the technology through which they are conveyed have evolved.
As different types of devices are developed, the demand for media and its many
new forms (some much more convenient because of the new technology) has rapidly
increased, forcing companies and producers of media to adapt. The two
conditions that lead to convergence are the corporations providing and adapting
to their media being delivered on new devices (the top-down level) and that the
consumer (bottom-up level) demands and learns new forms of technology and
wanting their media as quickly and efficiently as possible.
2.
What are the three different kinds of digital
convergence discussed in the article?
The three
different kinds of digital convergence that were discussed in the article are
media convergence, participatory culture and collective intelligence. The whole
idea of digital convergence relies on these concepts, the media converging to
be available on various devices and audiences, the culture that is willing to
participate and learn new ways of reaching their media, and the collective
intelligence of people in society who interact with others in the culture in
order to spread media.
3.
What cultural and social impacts does digital
convergence have in addition to technological changes?
The cultural and social impacts occurring in digital
convergence affect all of those involved in society, largely putting the
consumer in the position of demanding companies to create new forms of media,
or spread their consistent media to other devices/technology. The idea of
collective intelligence is largely due to social and cultural influence,
whether it’s trending issues and topics, or the latest piece of viral media,
society as a whole has a huge amount of influence on changes in technology.
With the consumer being in charge, rather than the big corporations being in
charge, it forces corporations to turn out new technological changes in order to
keep up with the converging society.
4.
Do the new media displace old media in the
history of media development? Why or why not?
New media never really replaces old media; rather, they come
together and converge. The manner in which they are delivered, such as the
device used (for example, people can now access the media they once got on
television on computers and cell phones) is what changes. The forms of media,
such as news and storytelling, will never go away. Instead there are news ways
to access the news and stories. The media that people seek varies, but it
remains consistent in that there is always the desire for different types of
media. In this way, old media will never become obsolete like the 8-track tape,
which, according to the article, is simply a form of a media delivery device.
5.
The convergence happens from both the top-down
corporate level and bottom-up grassroots level. How do both levels change the traditional
concept of media consumption?
Both the
top-down corporate level and the bottom-up grassroots level come together to
create a fully functional system of media convergence. According to the
article, the companies are adapting to the fast-paced and wide variety of
delivery systems for their media, and are providing that for the grassroots consumers
who learn the different types of technology and demand their media, niche or
general, from the devices they learn. Rather than the companies providing
products and hoping consumers take interest, consumers are the ones who
influence new devices and products.
6.
What does digital convergence in media indicate
for communication and journalism professionals in the future?
Digital convergence in media indicates that there will
always be new manners of delivering messages, and those involved in the
communication and journalism fields of careers must adapt to the new ways in
order to maintain a successful career. For example, a journalist no longer
simply writes a news story, they must update his or her blog or the news
station’s website, tweet a link to the story, update the news app to house
their story, and so forth. However,
there are also much more convenient and innovative technologies that involve
convergence that enhance a communication career. For instance, smart phones
have made capturing video for a news story or accessing articles to check facts
and updates near instantaneous. Therefore, convergence poses both challenges
and advancing opportunities for those in communication and journalism careers.
