Source:
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York: New York University Press.
Excerpts:
Chapter Six: “Photoshop for democracy: The new relationship between politics and popular culture”
Conclusion: “Democratizing television? The politics of participation”
Overview & Synthesis:
Chapter 6:
In chapter six, Jenkins examines the shift of the public’s role in the political process through the introduction of new outlets such as blogs, Photoshop, and games, in this new era of media convergence and collective intelligence. He discusses how changes in communications systems and cultural norms have expanded the range of voices that are heard and how they have shaped the way in which people process and act in today’s political discourse. Additionally, he introduces the idea of the monitorial citizen and some of the challenges that consumers face in terms of media and democracy.
Due to the mainstream media’s use of exclusionary practices, the need arose for participatory media channels, and this is where blogs came in. Jenkins uses a good part of the chapter to discuss blogging. He mentions how the Web’s low barriers to entry have expanded access to innovative and revolutionary ideas (Jenkins, 2006, p. 221). The chapter also mentions how this new technology is helping power to shift into a new paradigm that is more democratically distributed and shared by all (Jenkins, 2006, p. 222). Blogging helps to assert a counterperspective on mass media by providing prolonged conversations and interactions about certain topics; and while they don’t claim objectivity, they still allow consumers to decide for themselves by providing them with this wealth of information. This evolving system of media convergence, through the use of blogging and other similar methods, is making the media more democratic by contributing new checks and balances. Jenkins mentions how this adversarial relationship between the mainstream media and blogging world may provide an opportunity to correct many mistakes.
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| A screenshot from Jib Jab's "This Land" video |
The chapter then goes on to discuss how new software, such as Photoshop, has allowed citizens to appropriate and manipulate images to make a political statement (Jenkins, 2006, p. 231). New programs and technologies have democratized media by providing citizens with materials at low cost that allow them to produce and circulate powerful images. Jenkins (2006) mentions how the logic of convergence politics uses the idea of “grassroots media to mobilize and mainstream media to publicize” (p. 231). If consumers are able to produce these powerful statements, all they have to do is somehow get them introduced into the mainstream media to get big attention. Lawsuits, media coverage due to their banning, nothing is bad publicity to get attention to these ideas of political activism.
Jenkins also introduces the idea of the monitorial citizen. This is a consumer who engages in environmental surveillance more than information gathering, and also tends to be defensive rather than proactive (Jenkins, 2006, p. 237). However, he advocates that this monitoring citizen needs to develop new critical skills in assessing information both on the individual and collaborative levels with the help of knowledge communities.
One more way in which Jenkins addresses this shift is through the gaming world and ‘playing politics.’ He discusses how games, such as Alphaville in The Sims Online, have allowed people to play with power on a microlevel through the world of video games. He mentions, however, that for democracy to function here there needs to be a social contract between participants and a sense that their actions have consequence within the community, just as there should be in real life (Jenkins, 2006, p. 239). Games allow these people the opportunities to exert leadership and influence, which might carry over into their role as a citizen in real life where they can extend these experiences into actual political culture.
Jenkins concludes chapter six by discussing how passionately consumers feel about popular culture and how through it we have found a new power to shape our media environment. He again brings up the idea of knowledge cultures and the possibilities they pose through the quality and diversity of information they could hold. Yet he poses the challenge they face due to consumers seeking out ideas that reinforce their beliefs instead of confronting and experiencing different ideas. He advocates to the reader that we might be able to move forward if we deliberate together and it may be possible to find commonalities through our fantasies, which is why popular culture matters politically (Jenkins, 2006, p. 250).
Conclusion:
In the conclusion, Jenkins focuses on the politics of participation in today’s culture; namely how the introduction of the Internet has allowed for new ideas to be heard while television has remained closed off. He begins by illustrating the difference between the Web, where many can share what they create, and the broadcast media, where many can consume what a few create (Jenkins, 2006, p. 253). He then transitions into the politics of participation and what it means in convergence culture.
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| Wikipedia as a knowledge community |
Jenkins elaborates on what he means by convergence. Namely that it represents a paradigm shift mainly driven by economics and not some broad mission to empower the public (p. 254). Nevertheless it is still changing the ways media industries operate and the relation between them and consumers. The biggest change is the shift from individualized and personalized media consumption toward consumption as a networked practice, which is where his ideas of participation, collective intelligence, and knowledge communities come into play. Popular culture provides us with prototypes and is a way for people to connect, play, and apply their newfound skills. It gives us new ways of thinking about citizenship and collaboration.
Despite all of the new opportunities arising through technologies and this shift of ideas, consumers are still fighting to define the terms under which they are allowed to participate. Jenkins (2006) argues that the potentials of a more participatory media culture are worth fighting for and that we may have greater collective bargaining power in the politics of participation if we form consumption communities (p. 260).
Convergence culture allows for experiments to thrive, whereas regulation impoverishes culture. Jenkins (2006) describes how the intersection of this convergence culture provides great power because grassroots media is able to diversify, while broadcast media is able to amplify (p. 268).
Overall, he describes participation as an important political right, and advocates that the emergence of new media technologies supports a democratic urge to allow more people to create and circulate media (Jenkins, 2006, p. 269). Despite the challenges surrounding participation, he argues that it is worth it. Jenkins (2006) says that consumers will be more powerful within convergence culture, but only if they recognize and use that power as consumers and citizens as full participants in that culture (p. 270).
Questions & Reflections:
Chapter 6:
Jenkins (2006) states, “No one citizen can be expected to know everything about even one core debate let alone the range of issues that shape national politics” (p. 237). But can we know everything together through the collective intelligence and knowledge cultures he talks about? Would news be better through collective intelligence? Wouldn’t this have more sides to every story making the news further objective? Or does this just leave more sorting for the consumer to do? Overall, as Jenkins (2006) asks, “what would happen when the sharing of knowledge and the exercise of grassroots power become normative?” (p. 246). What could we accomplish if we were to achieve that?
Jenkins focuses on blogs and the strides they have made previously in terms of confronting the mainstream media. However, I feel like blogs have done even more in recent years since the book has been published. Since then, what are some of the advancements they have made to contribute to this power shift? Also, how have we seen the relationship between mainstream journalists and bloggers develop and work over the years? Also tying this discussion in with the conclusion, Jenkins (2006) asks, “in a society where blogs – both texts based and video enhanced - were thriving, why would anyone need to put their content on television? (p. 252) Is this web power enough? Or should we fight to get our rights on television and other forms of media as well?
Conclusion:
Is it really possible to ‘democratize the media’? Isn’t the media already supposed to be democratic, at least as far as news? Is the average consumer even really interested in this? Would the application of the idea of knowledge communities and collective intelligence in media achieve this democratization? Could we ever achieve this ideal of Levy’s as the utopian knowledge communities? What could it potentially bring to society in the long term? Could it be harmful in any way?
Jenkins (2006) asks, “But what would it mean to tap media power for our own purposes? Is ideological and aesthetic purity really more valuable than transforming our culture?” (p. 260) I would like to explore his question further.
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