inVerge 2007

More than Bringing Things Together: Convergence Culture and New Media Logics

The logics of convergence culture are becoming ubiquitous - Audiences are being encouraged to participate in a wider range of sites; Transmedia principles are being adopted by producers in a broad range of fields; ‘Engagement’ is being discussed as crucial to measurements of success. Understanding convergence as a cultural process rather than a technological one is key to understanding the new landscape in which media, business, consumers, and audiences navigate.

Three crucial shifts are taking place that help to contextualize the new environment.

First, content that can spread about the media space is becoming more important than content firmly stuck to one site. Spreadability affects conditions of production and consumption, and is central to many convergence culture practices.

Second is a transition from appointments with content to engagement with content. Engaging with content is different from arranging schedules to ensure content isn’t missed, and requires changes in the way audiences are considered ad content conceived.

Finally, success requires coming to terms with the unruliness of participatory culture, especially as tensions mount around the limits of acceptable participation and corporate regulation of collaborative audiences.

This presentation will tie these things together, presenting an overview of the new logics of convergence culture, digging into the ways media, business, content, and audiences are changing, and looking forward to future trends.