We Media Democracy and Convergence

Jeremy Orlebar | Wednesday May 12, 2010

The catch word for the digital world of new media is convergence. Convergence is the coming together of
everything digital.

Definition

Any digital media can be transmitted by any suitable digital medium, such as a wifi broadband connection or mobile
phone, so that all communications, text, audio, graphics, video, and broadcasting can be accessed instantly.

The iPhone, Blackberry or computer becomes a two-way communications module with access to the internet, email,
social networking sites, TV channels, films, radio, and the whole digital community of the internet.

The rise of the digital revolution led people to assume that the invention of new media was going to take over the
existence of old media, therefore providing ‘convergence’ with a more specific and powerful meaning. However, some
theorists such as George Gilder disagree with this view, stating:

“The computer industry is converging with the television industry in the same sense that the automobile converged with
the horse, the TV converged with the nickelodeon, the word-processing program converged with the typewriter, the CAD
program converged with the drafting board, and digital desktop publishing converged with the linotype machine and the
letterpress” (quoted by Henry Jenkins: Convergence Culture, New York University Press 2008).

I think Gilder means that new communications media does the same things as old communications media only using
new technology. Well, yes and no.

Certainly old media has not gone away; we still watch on average over 4 hours a week of broadcast television; we still
write and post letters although we write many less letters than we used to; we still make ordinary telephone calls; we still
use telephone directories and we still read books and go to libraries.

In fact we are buying more books than before new media arrived. What has happened is that we are using and
interacting with both types of media.

We sit on the sofa and watch television while commenting on the programme via Twitter on our mobile phones, or
laptops. We all use the internet, and use a computer to type messages, letters and do our homework. Yet we love to
send birthday cards and greetings cards and receive the goods we have purchased on eBay via snail mail. Convergence
gives us all the benefits of a multimedia world. Are there any downsides – well there is the small problem of paying for
new media.

Effects of Convergence
One of the cultural effects of we media and convergence is the bringing together of young people in virtual
neighbourhoods via Social Networking Sites(SNS), especially when accessible via mobile phone. The most significant
cultural effect for everybody is an individual’s access to the huge range, incredible variety and sheer scale of world wide
knowledge available on the internet.

Other effects are economic and social as convergence drives small businesses, gives consumers greater choice, offers
online video gaming and gambling, shopping, online leisure activities such as films, sport and ebooks, and allows many
people to work from home.

We Media
American theorist Henry Jenkins has written on convergence and the digital revolution in his current book quoted above
Convergence Culture (2008) and in a former book : Fans, Bloggers and Gamers (2006). He asks his readers to:

“imagine a world where there are two kinds of media power: one comes through media concentration, where any
message gains authority simply by being broadcast on network television; the other comes through grassroots
intermediaries, where a message gains visibility only if it is deemed relevant to a loose network of diverse publics”
(Jenkins: 2006).

This explains one of the benefits of new media in the democratic expansion of ideas and knowledge, and how the
Internet has gained media power throughout the 21st century, and how bloggers are now the “minutemen of the digital
revolution”. This is the ‘we media’ where we the public are not just consumers but are also producers in this new digital
universe.

We are now all able to both consume and produce texts, images, video and audio while on the move using our mobile
phones, or at home on our computers, or on the new hybrid TV sets. As individuals we can become personally involved
with anything that is ‘out there’. It may be news events that we influence by sending a picture to a newspaper or blog, or
our friend’s lives or a comment on Twitter.

Individuals can organize themselves into non-traditional associations which can set up petitions, discuss political issues,
influence companies, or share opinions, ideas, advice or jokes.

The current experience of convergence revolves around digital contact in:

• social network sites

• the 140-word instant Twitter

• the avatars that can help shape our identities in the virtual worlds of computer games

• blogs

• texts

• podcasts

• entertainment e.g.films and broadcast TV via devices such as the BBC’s iPlayer
Democratisation of The Media
We can define democratisation of the media by looking at the democratic process in society. As a citizen in a democracy
we have a small but important input into which form of government is in power. There are many countries where this
input is denied. Ideas, information, political manifestos, pictures, opinions reach the electorate via the gatekeepers of the
news media. Some people argue this means that citizens are denied ‘untainted news’.

The democratisation inherent in new media means that content and information, from news stories to videos to music,
become important and relevant because of the collective vote of the internet community. There are no gate keepers such
as news editors or magazine editors selecting the stories for us.

Democratisation of the media means all content on the web has the same opportunity for exposure or discovery by an
audience as every other piece of content. For example, an outspoken blog, or a school podcast, has the same chance
of reaching an audience as an article in The Times newspaper or a government online site. This is not just a one way
process.

Democratisation of the media means that anyone and everyone can have a say - via a blog or forum - in what is thought
to be important, interesting or relevant or entertaining. There is almost no censorship, other than the laws of the country,
and no filtering from unknown voices or institutions. It is the raw data from the people to the people.

It is this freedom that is popular. But freedom is rarely free or without dangers, and responsibilities. So the internet has
authored content such as blogs where you can see one person’s opinion and accept or reject it, and unauthored
information. You can comment on this content to correct any inaccuracies, or just sound off with your own ideas – yes
this is democracy of information and opinion. The question is does it affect any societal process, have any power or
influence any government policies?
Activity

In small groups discuss: 1.) How free is the internet? Define what you mean by free. 2.) How free is content such as
music on the internet?

Political Influence
The argument for the political power of we media arose during Obama’s election campaign in the US in 2008/9. Groups
of people communicated their preferences and ideas via we media and created a successful head of steam for the
election of Obama. It was hailed as an internet election, although analysis of the figures tends to show that it was only
young people who were enthused by social networks which were backing Obama, as well as blogs and Tweets.

In the UK by contrast the general election in May 2010 was dominated by the broadcast television debate between the
party leaders. The internet and new media appeared to have absolutely no influence although many politicians filed
blogs and Tweets throughout the campaign. This has been called a television election, because without doubt the old
media of broadcast television delivered the biggest audiences and had the most impact on the ‘hung’ Parliament result.
As I write Gordon Brown is driving The Mall to hand in his resignation – I am listening to this on the BBC news feed on
my computer. It’s convenient, immediate, and is visually interesting. At the 1997 election when Tony Blair was elected,
and before I had broadband, I listened on the radio to a description of the very same journey. The change is only in the
delivery not in the impact.

Activity
In small groups discuss; has new media changed anything politically in the UK– have you any examples of how new
media has changed your views and opinions?

Institutions
Something has changed in the power relationship between media institutions and individuals. The traditional media
power centres have been assaulted. New media has shifted the power away from large institutions such as News
corporation and Time Warner towards small groups and individuals. Internet sites such as ‘about 38 degrees’ ask people
to join pressure groups and take action. Its message is simple:

‘38 Degrees is the angle at which an avalanche happens. In the UK, 38 Degrees will enable people to act together, to
create an avalanche for change.’

Click on the link below to find out about 38 Degrees:

http://38degrees.org.uk/pages/about/
Sites such invite and support individual action, and seek changes in a variety of areas of life through the power of
individuals signing up to petitions, blogs and in some cases direct action.

By empowering internet users to make these choices, media democratisation is having an effect on existing institutions
such as traditional news and entertainment media, magazines, and the way we shop by enabling equal opportunity of
exposure. It could be said that convergence is finally delivering on the promise of a media that reflects the actual
interests of the public.

News in the 21st Century

One of the potential casualties of the online age is newspapers. The Times and Sunday Times owned by Rupert
Murdoch’s News international are losing money. In 2009 these papers lost £57 million. Other newspapers such as The
Guardian also had heavy losses, which are clearly not sustainable, and are mostly attributable to the loss of readers cost
of running their online sites.

The economic downturn, advertising slump and growing corporate frustration with a lack of substantial return from ad-
funded sites has prompted subscription access. Murdoch’s answer is to introduce a paywall.

http://www.thestrategyweb.com/the-social-globe-social-networks-become-paid-content

In April 2010 News International announced that subscriptions would be charged at £1 per day or £2 for one week and
gave a preview of the new Times site.

It lists daily Q&As, video and galleries, infographics, opinion and star columnists as the attractions for the new Times
site, and photography, debates, a culture planner and behind-the-scenes multimedia for the Sunday Times.
The Guardian has gone down a different route selling aps for mobile phones that give access to features, sports results
and other content from The Guardian.

Citizen Journalism
With Citizen Journalism (CJ) the user becomes the producer. It is especially evident during natural disasters such as the
Haiti earthquake (2010).

This picture was posted on the US independent news site The Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/13/haiti-earthquake-photos-video_n_421155.html

The site carries an exhortation to participate:

‘Send us a photo from the destruction with a description of the image and where it was taken.’

Activity
Discussion

Is the Huffington Post any more independent than a traditional news site run by a large media corporation? Would you
trust this, and other apparently independent sites like it, more than a Public Service website such as BBC co.uk? list the
pros and cons for independent news sites.
User Generated Content (UGC)

Some commentators thought that CJ and User Generated Content (UGC) could take over newsrooms - would become
more interesting than traditional edited news. Interestingly by mid 2010 this had not happened. With a mobile phone
anyone can take a reasonable picture and email it directly to a newspaper or broadcaster.

The end user is part of the news gathering process. Anyone can make a short video or audio recording on their mobile
and upload it to a news desk. If you happen to be on the spot when a news event happens then your pictures will get on
the air or in the newspapers. This raw content, available on the internet, can quickly move up the hierarchy long before
newsroom editorial cycles can process and publish news.

For example, stories on the new Apple iPad, or photos of the London Underground terrorist bombings are spread on the
internet by ordinary people who happened to be near the scenes, faster, and with more unfiltered information than
traditional newsrooms were able to publish or broadcast. The more methodical, traditional reporting joined the
conversation later, when each medium supported it.
But the story still needs a professional journalist to make it a newsworthy event for the public otherwise it just becomes
another Youtube video. News has to be understandable and acceptable to viewers and readers. Traditional news values
still have relevance in the convergence age, so this does not mean the end of traditional newsgathering. In fact just the
opposite is true.

The newsgathering, research and fact-checking functions journalists provide are vital to a highly functioning society. As
citizens, we develop relationships with TV news, newspapers, magazines and the particular approach of editors. We
depend on them for consistency and credibility. In a world where information is democratised, journalists and citizens are
less hindered by an older patriarchal model where decisions about what gets reported and what doesn’t are made by a
few editors. A compelling and well written story will find an outlet.

All content creators, such as musicians, authors, film directors, photographers can find a way to reach an internet
audience but it may be small.
Transmedia

In the postmodern world of We 2.0 media, the consumer and the producer are one. The interactive consumer is
inveigled into a hyper real world where the distinction between considered reality and media representations is blurred.

The impact of Social Networking Sites (SNS) is considerable with an audience of approx 350 million active users on
Facebook, 2.5 billion pictures posted a month; Twitter growing at 400% a year. We know people spend much more time
with such sites than with traditional media websites. But they also watch television, read books, newspapers and
magazines and engage with one another via email and texts.

Citizens like to be entertained, stimulated and to have some power. New media coexists with old media – maybe we
should call this synchronized consumption and flow of information the new world of Transmedia. One university in the US
has set up a department with that name –perhaps they know something.