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 * Book Review: **

Hello, my name is Daniel Davis and today I will be reviewing:

**__Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide__** **by Henry Jenkins**

__About the Author__

Henry Jenkins has a Ph. D. in Communication Arts and is well known for his research and work in the field of media studies. He is currently a professor at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and was formerly a co-director of the MIT Comparative Media Studies program. Jenkins has written numerous articles and books that have been published in the last two decades. If you would like additional information please check the link to Jenkins [|website]. His blog also has summaries of some of his works including the next book I plan to read titled Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture.

__Book Summary__:

In //Convergence Culture//, Jenkins provides his view on the changing relationships between media, consumers, and corporations. This book discusses the benefits and some of the challenges that are due to the increasing integration of media in our lives. Jenkins covers several concepts in the book related to how information is distributed through various mediums and the ways in which people interact and use them to get what they are seeking. Each chapter focuses on a real-life example that illustrates these interactions and provides clear evidence to support his ideas. I will provide a short summary of the important concepts I gained from the chapters and a brief description of the examples he used for each.

The book introduces two important and interrelated concepts, collective intelligence and knowledge communities. These concepts are illustrated by the show //Survivor// and the use of internet forums by viewers for discussing the show and possible spoilers for the next weeks show. The book demonstrates collective intelligence in the context that the viewers are coming together to share their observations, insights, or expertise to figure out the results of the next show before it airs. Jenkins gives a clear description of collective intelligence by making the point that no one knows everything, but we all know something and can contribute it to the greater understanding of a group. This reliance on others to share information and ideas brings us to the formation of knowledge communities. Knowledge communities are groups of people that have shared interests and goals. The viewers in this particular knowledge community worked together to look for clues and other information which they found through the shows preview clips as well as other media sources.

The next key concept presented in the text is participatory culture. Here //American Idol// is used to convey how people are willing to become active participants in their entertainment experience by being able to vote for contestants. We are becoming less content to be a mere observer of entertainment and many people have a desire to be more involved in the experience. This new interaction leads people to become more emotionally attached to a particular franchise because they have a deeper connection and feeling that they have some part in shaping it. This trend is gaining the attention of many companies as they try to connect with people and build that interaction with consumers.

Transmedia storytelling is another big concept presented in this book and Jenkins uses //The Matrix// as the template for building a world across multiple mediums. With transmedia, authors use different types of media to contribute to their story as whole. This allows the consumer the ability to interact and become part of the story by choosing how much they wish to be involved with it. //The Matrix// was used as a primary example because most people know of the movies, but many do not realize the extent to which the creators, the Wachowski brothers, went to create a multifaceted entertainment experience. Some people just watched the movies, but others who had the interest could explore various fansites, play the numerous games, or view the anime short movies. Each of these activities would provide a deeper understanding and clearer picture of the franchise as a whole but it is up to the individual to decide just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Jenkins also discusses issues, such as copyright concerns, that arise from users ability to interact, alter, and share content with one another across the web. This is in large part because the tools used by amateurs can now blur the line between fan-fiction and Hollywood production. He provides the example of students writing fan fiction and sharing it with each other through the web, which led to lawsuits from Warner Brothers. This grassroots involvement in a series, was seen as a misuse of intellectual property. This type fan-culture existed prior to the internet, but it became an issue due to the ability to spread these works globally through the internet. In the end it is going to be up to the fans and these large companies to figure out the new rules for what is acceptable in media participation in the digital age.

Critique: Convergence Culture was an excellent read in my opinion. It was very easy for me to understand the concepts presented because I had already experienced many of them in my personal life. Jenkins does a fantastic job throughout this book of describing the ways in which media, individuals, and companies are coming together in new ways. While many readers may not feel as connected to this book as I was, I think that just about everyone can make a personal connection to something in the text.

I gave //Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide// a 5/5 for being a very interesting and easy to read book that backs up the concepts presented with very concrete examples.