Product Description

"Convergence Culture" maps a new territory: where old and new media intersect, where grassroots and corporate media collide, where the power of the media producer, and the power of the consumer interact in unpredictable ways. Henry Jenkins, one of America's most respected media analysts, delves beneath the new media hype to uncover the important cultural transformations that are taking place as media converge. He takes us into the secret world of "Survivor Spoilers", where avid internet users pool their knowledge to unearth the show's secrets before they are revealed on the air. He introduces us to young Harry Potter fans who are writing their own Hogwarts tales, while executives at Warner Brothers struggle for control of their franchise. He shows us how "The Matrix" has pushed transmedia storytelling to new levels, creating a fictional world where consumers track down bits of the story across multiple media channels. Jenkins argues that struggles over convergence will redefine the face of American popular culture. Industry leaders see opportunities to direct content across many channels to increase revenue and broaden markets. At the same time, consumers envision a liberated public sphere, free of network controls, in a decentralized media environment. Sometimes corporate and grassroots efforts reinforce each other, creating closer, more rewarding relations between media producers and consumers. Sometimes these two forces are at war. Jenkins provides a riveting introduction to the world where every story gets told and every brand gets sold across multiple media platforms. He explains the cultural shift that is occurring as consumers fight for control across disparate channels, changing the way we do business, elect our leaders, and educate our children.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #250803 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 308 pages

Review
"I thought I knew twenty-first century pop media until I read Henry Jenkins. The fresh research and radical insights in Convergence Culture deserve a wide and thoughtful readership. Bring on the 'monolithic block of eyeballs!'" - Bruce Sterling, author, blogger, visionary "One of those rare works that is closer to an operating system than a traditional book: it's a platform that people will be building on for years to come.... It should be mandatory reading for anyone trying to make sense of today's popular culture - but thankfully, a book this fun to read doesn't need a mandate." - Steven Johnson, author of the national bestseller, Everything Bad Is Good For You "Jenkins offers crucial insight into an unexpected and unforeseen future. Unlike most predictions about how New Media will shape the world in which we live, the reality is turning out far stranger and more interesting than we might have imagined. The social implications of this change could be staggering." - Will Wright, designer of SimCity and The Sims"

About the Author
Henry Jenkins is DeFlorz Professor of Humanities and founder/director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT. The author and editor of eleven books including Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture and From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games, Jenkins also writes a regular column for Technology Review.

Customer Reviews

Really good starting point for understanding media convergence
In his book Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide MIT boffin Henry Jenkins takes us on a journey through modern culture, past the must-see television series and social networks to fan fiction, comics and internet forums. Great media properties like 24, Star Wars and the Matrix properties told told stories in a complex manner through various media. Consumers of the media got out of the property what they put in.

Jenkins then takes his book beyond the most byzantine storytelling to point out that it is as much about discovery rather than telling the story. It moves from media to experience and relies on the media property staying ahead of large groups of people who use online tools to collaborate on this discovery process with each other.

From a marketing perspective, planning rather than story creation is going to be the dominant element as brands look to architect their own experience for consumers to discover.

good media/ad book
a good read on the convergence of various medias in today's world, useful for business, advertising etc would recommend it.