Strategically Communicating

Just in case you didn’t see this in the Oregonian yesterday. 

Short interview with Jared Cohen of Google Ideas: “Global political impact of Twitter, Facebook. A Google executive credits social media with connecting citizens and creating ‘space for movements.'”

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2011/10/social_media_and_social_change.html

Having read about the delicate relationship between the designers of online worlds and the fans that exist in those worlds, I couldn’t help but think of the relationship between the makers of Facebook and the 800 million people that are members of the social networking site.

Much like choosing the look and style of an avatar in worlds like Second Life or World of Warcraft, a Facebook user can be the ‘designer’ of their online existence. Personal Facebook users can choose which pictures to include in their profile, what personal information to share, and who to include in their online world. Businesses can create custom welcome pages, and everyone is able to create and use applications.  However, larger changes to the Facebook world (i.e. layout and privacy settings) are made by the site’s designers.

In Convergence Culture, Jenkins described how wholesale changes to the world of Star Wars Galaxies led to an exodus among loyal fans. Earlier this year, the developers of Star Wars Galaxies announced that it will be closing for good on December 15, 2011. Without knowing whether the closing of Star Wars Galaxies was a result of a decline in cultural relevance or a declining population as a result of customer dissatisfaction, it is worth questioning whether Facebook’s disregard for customer input will have a chilling effect among its users.

For example, changes on Facebook are often unannounced and can be significant. Recently, Facebook made a number of changes to its look and feel, and changed the way content is kept private.  After every round of changes, users seem to react angrily and threaten to leave the site. Out of all the people that threatened to leave the site in my friend circle, only one has followed through.

Are people so dependent (in the uses and gratifications sense) on Facebook that they will ride out changes that impact their experience?

In what ways are social networks and online gaming worlds similar?

In Chapters 4 and 5, having established an understanding of media convergence, crossover branding, and transmedia storytelling, Jenkins explores the effects that these concepts have on fan culture.  “Fans are the most active segment of the media audience, one that refuses to simply accept what they are given, but rather insists on the right to become full participants.  None of this is new.  What has shifted is the visibility of fan culture.”  The visibility of fan culture is the core of these two chapters.  Because of the Internet, this heightened enthusiasm for a product, story, movie, etc. is more available for everyone to see, critique, and either praise or condemn.  For Jenkins the “everyone” can be referred to as any one of the many groups affiliated with a certain cause or belief, social communities, the producers of the original product, the fans themselves, the news media, or courts of law.   A common thread that weaves throughout both chapters and I might argue the entire book, is that this is all uncharted territory for which there are few if any precedents.  The industry and the consumer seem to be fumbling their way through this in baby steps, making mistakes along the way as they make various attempts to adapt to this ever-changing environment. 

In Chapter 4, Jenkins uses Star Wars as an example of where the fan base is inspired by the creative genius, George Lucas, to create their own movies based on the narrative of Star Wars.  With the Internet and the new digital media options available, fans were able to contribute their creative works to the Internet in new ways, prompting the producers of Star Wars to establish new ways in which they could protect the integrity of their product and adhere to copyright laws while not alienating their consumer’s interest.   One way in which they did this was by developing a website, where under certain guidelines, fans could post their homemade videos for monthly contests and prizes.  While there were some constraints on creative freedom, it offered a place in which both the fans and the industry could interact while protecting each of their own rights.  It wasn’t perfect but was no doubt a somewhat successful way of satisfying the interests of both parties. 

Chapter 5 uses Harry Potter to expand this idea in new ways.  There were multiple examples given where the industry and the fans where forced to think outside of the box and develop new ways to handle the growing participation of the fan-base and the rights of the producer.   For example, when Warner Bros. bought the film rights, they began to assert their power over the fan-base, shutting down websites they deemed as copy-right infringement and sending cease and desist letters to young internet writers.  This outraged the fan-base and Warner Bros. was forced to re-think their approach in dealing with copyright infringement.  They issued apologies and ultimately calmed the situation by realizing their mistake and re-evaluating their approach. 

These two examples point to Jenkins’ final conclusion that this is a situation for which there are no precedents.  He suggests that the best legal solution may be to “rewrite fair-use protections to legitimate grassroots, not-for-profit circulation of critical essays and stories that comment on the content of mass media.”  He goes on to say that in the meantime it may be more effective for studios to begin shifting the ways that they think about fan communities, coming up with a more collaborative approach versus a power struggle between the two sides. 

To conclude, while the movie and entertainment industry may not be our particular areas of interests, it is important to note these examples as ways in which media is changing the conversation between producer and consumer.  I believe it is important for us to apply that concept to our own work environments where we may be on the side of persuading an audience to buy into our concept or product.  As students in this program we must ask ourselves how our own industries are affected by media convergence.  How can we anticipate situations for which there are no precedents?  What can we do to be more progressive thinkers in our industry, coming up with solutions to problems that don’t already exist?  The least we can do is to anticipate where our industry is headed and the situations that might arise, better preparing ourselves to be ahead of the momentum that is obviously building and setting ourselves apart from our competition in new and innovative ways.

Those of you of a certain age, surely remember how important the “mix-tape” was back in the day. My cassette recorder and tapes were the favorites of my early teenage years and we all spent many hours recording music for ourselves and to give away to our friends. We made these compilation tapes for every possible mood and reason whether it be a road trip, a date night, or a breakup. We were taping and trading and giving away music like crazy. We used to buy boxes of blank tapes to make our creations. It’s interesting to think now, that the music industry surely knew of all the taping going on but I can’t remember it seriously being discussed as an illegal activity. We didn’t have the internet back then, my generation of tape makers wasn’t really in the public eye. Switch this activity to the internet and all of a sudden music sharing couldn’t be ignored by the music industry any more. I remember when the Napster wars began, and feeling terrible for the teenagers tangled up in that lawsuit. Things had changed greatly from the time of mix-tapes, they were sharing music yes, but the changes in technology allowed them to reach such a large audience, that a whole different set of concerns and complex legal ramifications now applied.

Ability to reach a huge audience plays into fan fiction too. I’m not sure how I felt after reading about all the fan fiction published surrounding Harry Potter. I can see how the fans want to have the freedom to create and publish their Potter inspired works on the internet, but I can also see how writing stories using the characters and worlds created and owned by another person causes so much grief to the copyright owners. Much like the tapes we used to make, when it was just passed between us, and home movies, when they were only seen in the home, it seemed to be ok, but when it is put on the internet, with the possibility of thousands of people reading, using, consuming these creations, it rises to a different level of use and protection concerns.

Thinking about popular culture and politics, I remember when I become a fan of the Daily Show and then the Colbert Report. It didn’t occur to me that people would watch these programs as their primary source of news. It makes sense though that the younger generation would look to Stewart and Colbert as their way of hearing about what is going on in politics more so than traditional newscasts. I watch these guys for their comedic brilliance, they are so different than the normal news and bring to light different aspects of political situations, I find their shows both hysterically funny and informative, but I also get political information from traditional news. Do you think that because Stewart and Colbert deliver political news and opinion in a sarcastic, comedic, some might say irreverent, way that it is good, bad (or neutral) for young people to hear, considering that this may be their only exposure to political news? Do you think that Stewart and Colbert are legitimate political pundits?

One of the main undercurrents in Jenkins’ Convergence Culture is the concept of “participatory culture” and how it impacts the relationship between media producers and media consumers. It’s a tenuous alliance that can be both complementary (what Jenkins calls “collaborationists”) and adversarial (“prohibitionists”).

The media producers tread a fine line between maintaining sovereignty over their content and appealing to the most devoted media consumers—the “loyalists,” the “brand community,” or, simply, the fans. The motivations and gratifications of media producers are seemingly obvious. At best, their aim is to create a product that’s artful, meaningful and engaging. More likely, they’re trying to make a buck. If they manage the former while securing the latter, then huzzah, champagne for everyone.

The motivations and gratifications of media consumers are more complex. All manner of social, cultural, emotional and psychological factors likely come into play. To one extent or another, what the “loyalists” of a particular brand or product likely share is a search for identity, community, camaraderie, acceptance, maybe even meaning. There’s intangible value to be found, at least for the individual or the specific community.

However, what’s striking to me about the fan communities Jenkins describes is how little substance is created from such large, passionate and mobilized populations. If only the American electorate was as passionate as The Spoilers of Survivor. The gratification that individual members get from fan experiences isn’t to be underestimated, but it seems to me that a society or culture at large hardly benefits (if not outright digresses) from many of these Idol pursuits.

Maybe it’s simply entertainment. Not every TV show needs to be 60 Minutes. Not every book has to be The Jungle. Sometimes we need brain candy. Sometimes we need to consume something with absolutely no redeeming value, hence the longevity of Seth Rogen’s acting career.

One might argue that the intangible benefits of communal interaction and shared experience within these fan groups is enough. It could be argued that the Star Wars “fan fiction” sub-culture Jenkins discusses in Chapter Four has helped push technological and artistic boundaries while breaking down the barriers between producer and consumer for a more egalitarian experience. One could also argue that the techno-activism Jenkins describes in Chapter 6 uses new methods to generate important, meaningful dialogue (although the use of technological manipulation and raving hypersensitivity to events like “The Dean Scream” make this problematic).

From my perspective, speaking strictly about the fan communities that Jenkins describes in Convergence Culture, the fanbase with the most universally redemptive qualities is the Harry Potter loyalists described in Chapter 5. Granted, this perspective could be entirely influenced by how Jenkins sympathetically frames the discussion. A significant portion of the fans discussed are kids and Jenkins handles them accordingly with kids’ gloves.

And yet Jenkins also offers evidence for the massive impact that the so-called “Potter Wars” had not just among Potter “loyalists” but also in a broader global, social and cultural dialogue. A seemingly innocuous shared passion centered around prepubescent-turned-adolescent wizardry led to a fight against censorship (Muggles for Harry Potter/kids-SPEAK!), educational empowerment and “collective bargaining” communal defense  (The Daily Prophet, Sugar Quill) as well as straight-up social activism (HP Alliance).

What makes this specific fan community even more interesting is that their “battle” as described by Jenkins wasn’t just a matter of media consumers versus media producers (as was the case with The Spoilers versus the producers of Survivor, American Idol fans versus American Idol producers, “fair-use” Star Wars fans versus LucasFilms, etc.) but instead spilled over into “real-world” issues of values, politics and religion.

There’s also a certain irony in religious fundamentalists gnashing their teeth over the “participatory culture” embraced by Harry Potter loyalists when one considers that devoted, interpretive evangelicalism based primarily on a singular literary source is, in fact, a foundational trait they both share. Not to mention that a reverse argument could easily be made when the shoe is on the other foot (The Chronicles of Narnia, the Left Behind series, one of Kirk Cameron’s straight-to-DVD epistles).

In the end, it shows a glimpse into how seemingly “throwaway” cultural products and the passion they inspire can make meaningful real-world impacts through the collective power—heretofore mostly misappropriated or untapped—of the “participatory culture.”

Discussion Questions:
-In what ways does “fan fiction” represent a shift from “mass culture” and “popular culture” back toward “folk culture” (as Jenkins describes the terms)?
-What distinction, if any, would you make between “file-sharing” and “fan fiction” as it relates to intellectual property and/or copyright infringement?

In chapters 4, 5 and 6 of “Convergence Culture,” Henry Jenkins explores the “Star Wars” cult followings, the “Harry Potter” fan fiction influence on children’s literacy, and the 2004 presidential campaign’s use of online communities. These are significant examples of how convergence culture may have changed our life in the 21st century. Name one important way that you could use convergence culture happenings to change your life today, whether it be in your work, personal life, or political leanings.

I have learned from Jenkins’ book to embrace the fact that online communities are challenging the mainstream media’s ability to report news.  I think the online proliferation of alternative news sources is a very positive development in our society today. In other words, traditional broadcast and print sources no longer have a monopoly over the news process due to the development of i-reporters, bloggers, YouTube, and other online sources.

As with “Harry Potter” fan fiction, “Star Wars” cults, and the online political process, reporters have much to gain from the shared knowledge of online communities. Our collective knowledge over the Internet provides a system of checks and balances.  Alternative online news sources enrich the overall reporting of news, despite the need to consider each source carefully. For example, in many Arab Spring events, social media sites and other alternative news sources brought out much more than the mainstream media could cover in the Middle East.

Another interesting example of how our convergence culture is influencing our daily lives may be the recent “Occupy Wall Street” activities. With the help of social media and other online sites, this major protest has taken off nationally and may ultimately influence the upcoming presidential campaign, at least by drawing attention to the daily issues that are frustrating Americans. An interesting segment on “60 Minutes” last night showed President Obama’s appointment of a committee to improve unemployment, perhaps addressing some of the “Occupy Wall Street” concerns. Only time will tell if this movement actually accomplishes something culturally significant over the long term.