characteristics

• 8 characteristics of new media

  digitalisation

  technological convergence

  economic convergence

  cultural convergence

  interactivity

  choice

  participatory culture

  collective intelligence
• new media characteristics - digitalisation

  growth in digital technology resulted in changes in way information is stored and transmitted

  all information is converted into binary code
• new media characteristics - technological convergence 


  digitalisation resulted in convergence of different types of information - text, photographs, video, film etc into a single delivery system, available as smart television, laptop, phone etc
• BOYLE - technological convergence

  digitalisation allows information to be delivered across across a range of once separate and unconnected media platforms
• characteristics of new media - economic convergence


  technological convergence also produced economic convergence

  media and telecommunication industries once previously produced separate systems of communication and now make economic alliances as digitalisation has reduced boundaries between media sectors
• characteristics of new media - cultural convergence (jenkins)


  media convergence has changed the way members of society interact with media and eachother

  e.g., new media has changed nature of consumption

  e.g., facebook remains default social networking site with 3 billion monthly active users
• characteristics of new media - interactivity

  new media are interactive and are responsive in ' real time ' to user input through clicking on links or selecting items

  internet epitomises interactivity because it lets user select stories they want to read / watch in the order they want to

  people can also mix and match the information they want - accessing news from different sources
• characteristics of new media - choice (jenkins and boyle)

  jenkins argues media audiences today can interact with variety of media, often from single device

  this means new media audiences have greater choice compared with pre 1990's audiences

  boyle notes societies use of TV has evolved from system of supply-led to demand-led, organised around idea viewers such choose what they want to watch and when

  viewers no longer constrained by TV schedules
• characteristics of new media - participatory culture

  new media audiences often actively collaborate with new media and other uses via sharing content, music, writing reviews and sharing opinions

  jenkins - convergence and interactivity = participatory culture where media producers and consumers no long occupy separate roles
• characteristics of new media - collective intelligence (jenkins)


  participatory culture produces collective intelligence where uses pool resources and skills to build a 'jigsaw' image

  new media is alternative user-led information source often critical of information produced top down