Strategically Communicating

After reading chapter 3, The Value of Media Engagement, I’m eager to see what Henry Jenkins has to add to the next edition, as much of the landscape has changed since Spreadable Media was published in 2013. For example, the addition of original series created by and exclusively distributed through Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, make it apparent that media companies have embraced the idea that capitalism is about the art of what is desirable.

Surveying the Originals lineup on Netflix, there is a clear effort to appeal to genres that are considered a transmedia success. The series Jessica Jones and Daredevil are both Marvel spinoffs that have had success in online forums, comics, and various fan fiction sites. The inclusion of the series in Netflix creates a venue for fans to engage and support, while sponsors and content creators at Marvel reap the benefits of having enhanced and measurable user stats.

True crime is another genre that has thrived as an original series. The Making of a Murderer, the story of Steven Avery, has created a social outcry. The format of the series taps into the expanded cognitive abilities of the viewer. Super sleuths have created online forums to discuss evidence, which resulted in a revisiting of the case and the overturning of the conviction of Brendan Dassey.

It’s clear that Netflix and its competitors are changing the approach to media engagement, and have only just begun to create content that will appeal to and engage audiences.