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Spreadable Media: Creating Value And Meaning In A Networked Culture (2013)

by Henry Jenkins(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0814743501 (ISBN13: 9780814743508)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

New York University Press

review 1: I read this book through the lens of a content marketing practitioner that was curious what new insight Henry Jenkins and his co-authors would add to the information and guidance that's already available on this topic -- both online and in other books.The authors believe that "if it doesn't spread, it's dead." To me, that's an oversimplified explanation of today's environment. Also, most of their case studies are from the American entertainment industry. In contrast, I'm more interested in how these `spreadable media' scenarios apply to commercial (corporate brand) storytelling.What's their primary focal point? The author's acknowledgement of the "participatory culture" of the Internet is a reoccurring theme throughout the book. Likewise, they remind us how the leadership ... moreof Big Media corporations have historically misunderstood or intentionally resisted this phenomena -- often at their own peril.Moreover, while the basic concept of sharing and syndication is not new, those people who do much of the `social' sharing today are not sanctioned or encouraged by the content creator. To some people within the media industry, that's very unsettling. But the authors present a somewhat optimistic outlook -- believing that those fears will dissipate over time.At the offset they're actually quite hopeful that socioeconomic advancement is likely, as a result of these progressive changes to the status quo. They say "The growth of networked communication, especially when coupled with the practices of participatory culture, provides a range of new resources and facilitates new interventions for a variety of groups who have long struggled to have their voices heard."They question the cultural logic of believing that you can make something "go viral" -- because this notion is proven [upon reflection of the available research] to be more akin to wishful thinking than fact. They also challenge the legacy marketer's belief in content "stickiness" and point to the apparent limits of distribution models that merely count impressions or page views.In summary, while I didn't find a significant new revelation in their text, I believe the authors have compiled a very thorough assessment of the topic and they deserve credit for that achievement. I like the way that they characterize online `influence' as a meritocracy -- and that to some degree we're all capable of becoming taste-makers of good content. Also, that the new media landscape offers a huge opportunity for creative artists that are eager to experiment and grow.As I read the conclusion of this book I thought about all the marketers that will attempt exponential distribution of their thought leadership by paying publishers for their Native Advertising services, and yet they fail to include a Creative Commons licence on their corporate blogs -- opting instead for the restrictive traditional copyright warnings that inhibit proactive sharing and syndication.For those readers who want to learn more about the author's point of view, they have an "enhanced version" of the book online at spreadablemedia.org
review 2: Much has been written and is being written about how the media operates today, with audiences relationship with media texts far more complex than ever before. The internet and digital media affords audiences not only new opportunities and platforms for consumption of the media, but also creation too. Following on from Jenkins 2008 book Convergence Culture, this really is the most up to date analysis of the media you can get today. Spreadable Media focuses on the distribution, re-distribution and appropriation of media texts by audiences and the reaction from media organisations, many of which feel uncomfortable with this new era of media production and consumption.Case studies throughout are fascinating, with Mad Men and the Twitter expansion of its universe a particular favourite with it branching into areas of fan fiction and issues of media ownership. As a media educator myself I will certainly be recommending it to colleagues and students alike. I hope that the audience reaches further than this - it certainly deserves to - as media professionals and media consumers (so yes, that's all of us) will certainly gain much from reading the book. less

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