Understanding Media Convergence

by Grant, August E.; Wilkinson, Jeffrey S.

• ISBN13: 9780195327779
• ISBN10: 0195327772
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-12-09
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

On our contemporary media landscape, the potential of the written word is limitless. Repurposing print journalism for the Internet and beyond, convergent journalism invigorates and transforms how we create and experience media. A vital new resource in our digital age, Understanding Media Convergence outlines and investigates the broad theoretical and conceptual issues surrounding this emergent subject. Bringing together incisive work by some of the leaders in the field--including Janet Kolodzy, Bob Papper, Kenneth Killebrew, and Charles Bierbauer--editors August E. Grant and Jeffrey S. Wilkinson have selected readings that introduce readers to this provocative subject and provide a strong framework for inquiry. Through its dynamic and diverse voices, this compelling anthology * outlines the various types of convergence and their theoretical underpinnings * presents real-world case studies that show convergent journalism in action * investigates the democracy of weblogs * provides insight into convergence by applying feminist theory, organizational culture, and management theory * concludes with a discussion of the future of convergent journalism These essays expand and underscore the practical techniques put forth in Grant and Wilkinson's textbook, Principles of Convergent Journalism, and the contributors offer a fascinating look at the controversies, constraints, and possibilities of media convergence. Essential for advanced journalism students, scholars, and professional journalists, Understanding Media Convergence sheds light on the future of the media--and the transformations that will affect us all.

Author Biography

August E. Grant is Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina and editor of Communication Technology Update.
Jeffrey S. Wilkinson is Professor and Coordinator of the International Journalism Programme at United International College (Zhuhai, China), founded jointly by Beijing Normal University and Hong Kong Baptist University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction: Dimensions of Media Convergence	p. 3
The State of Convergence Journalism Revisited: Newspapers Take the Lead	p. 18
Convergence Explained: Playing Catch-up with News Consumers	p. 31
Middletown Media Studies II: Observing Consumer Interactions with Media	p. 52
The Converged Audience: Receiver-Senders and Content Creators	p. 64
Media Convergence and the Neo-Dark Age	p. 84
Converging Communication, Colliding Cultures: Shifting Boundaries and the Meaning of "Our Field"	p. 98
Culture, Conflict, and Convergence: A Theoretical Discusion of Group-based Identity and Bias Reduction in a Converged Newsroom	p. 117
Developing Media Managers for Convergence: A Study of Management Theory and Practice for Managers of Converged Newsrooms	p. 135
A Feminist Perspective on Convergence	p. 151
On Linkages and Levels: Using Theory to Assess the Effect of Converged Structures on News Products	p. 164
The Meaning and Influence of Convergence: A Qualitative Case Study of Newsroom Work at the Tampa News Center	p. 182
News Convergence Arrangements in Smaller Media Markets	p. 204
Beyond the "Tower of Babel": Ideas for Future Research in Media Convergence	p. 221
Web Logs: Democratizing Media Production	p. 234
Global Aspects of Convergence	p. 249
Tracks, Silos, and Elevators: Postsecondary Convergence Journalism Education in the United States	p. 268
The Future of Media Convergence	p. 290
Contributors	p. 302
Index	p. 306
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