inVerge 2007

Restructure Time? Two Years in Convergence Culture

In the two years since the publication Henry Jenkins’ Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, convergence has moved from buzzword to verified concept. Elements of what Jenkins has labeled cultural convergence have been at the forefront of innovative attempts to re-think the media landscape.

The emergence and normalization of off-broadcast distribution strategies, engaging participatory culture as a network force and site of innovation, turning brand integration over to creatives, and moving content and narratives between and across mediums and platforms, all point to the reinvention of media business in positive and much-needed ways.

Developments such as these suggest certain parts of the media industry are slowly coming to terms with the cultural implications of the converging media space. Rebuilding often requires tearing down, however, and in the same period, major sites of tension have emerged, particularly in the relationship between media companies and participatory culture. The desire to ‘kill’ YouTube, either via the development of platforms such as Hulu.com or through the courts, the rocky relationship between music companies and Apple, the 2007-2008 Writer’s strike, and legal action against fan-creators, are all examples that reveal sites of tension in the convergence media space.

Looking at some major trends in participatory culture and convergence media from the last two years, now seems like a good time to reflect upon the implications of working in convergence culture, and thinking through the possible futures ahead. How, for instance, do we need to shift our thinking about the relationship between producers and audiences, producers and distribution channels, and audiences and content?