Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Spreadable Media discuss the best practices within today’s bottom-up media paradigm. “Designing for Spreadability” discusses strategies and audience motivations that content creators should consider when creating highly spreadable content. Chapter 6 takes us back to the reciprocity of gift-economy logic for independent media trying to target communities that find their content appealing but still lack promotional budgets. In terms of global media research, the final chapter assesses the increased diversity in terms of spreadability among transnational media.
In the conclusion, Jenkins, Ford, and Green discuss the mass-produced and mass-distributed content under the new spreadability paradigm. Today’s media content is customized for niche audiences by niche audiences. They explain that, “fans evangelize for entertainment they want others to enjoy” (p. 297).
I created a diagram to show how I view participatory culture from Spreadable Media:
- Fans advocate the entertainment they want to share with others.
- Meanwhile, they translate between a media text’s contexts of production and reception.
- This is then disseminated to the niche audience who attaches new meaning to existing properties. As Jenkins, Ford, and Green explain, “they act as multipliers” (p. 297).
In terms of earned media concerning Donald Trump’s campaign, do you believe that this mass-distributed content is customized for niche audiences? I’ve witnessed Republicans and Democrats alike post and retweet Trump stories every day. If you’re not a Trump supporter and you retweet a spreadable story, are you considered a part of that niche community (fans) even if you disagree with his alleged actions/shortcomings in these stories?
Strategically Communicating 
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