I. Convergence:
Sometimes, it seems the sky is falling for traditional media. Radio stations are being gobbled up by big, mean conglomerates. Television networks are just three choices among a hundred other possibilities. In some homes, you can't even find a newspaper to line the bottom of a bird cage.

These trends have yielded several results - namely, the weakening of the news media in general, newspapers in particular, and the creation of an ill-informed population. Thinking back to the beginning of the semester, we know that an ill-informed citizenry cannot participate in a democratic society. Why? Because less informed individuals cannot make well-reasoned judgments about important public matters.

At present, the information media are declining in use among all Americans, especially young Americans. In general, young Americans like yourselves are becoming less educated about important issues in the news. The facts substantiate this claim. Consider that from 1972 to 2000, daily newspaper usage among young people has fallen from 44.4 percent to just 17.8 percent.

Do facts such as these herald the end of the communication industry as we know it?

Yes and no. It's the end of the communication industry as we've come to know it; however, it's just the beginning of a new phase in communication production and distribution.

We refer to this new phase as "Convergence." Convergence can mean the merger of people, resources, media technologies, content, and industries. And as you are learning in the classroom, convergence is considered by many to be a potentially positive trend in the media today. It is a trend that now allows us to find on news Web sites the following elements:

  • Written stories
  • Audio and video clips
  • Slideshows
  • Graphs
  • Downloadable podcasts
  • Blogs for people to participate in and share their opinions
  • Polls
  • Links for people to upload their camera phone pictures
  • Chats with experts
  • Links to further background and information
  • Real media/interactive advertisements
  • and much more!

You may have visited convergence or new media sites a million times and not known you were witnessing media convergence in action. Now, you know. Convergence means the integration of:

  • People (writers, editors, producers, advertisers, etc.)
  • Content (print, audio, video, still pictures, ads, etc.)
  • Technology (Internet, mobile phones, PDAs, etc.)
  • Disciplines/Industries (Journalism, Graphic Design, Telecommunications, Marketing and Advertising, Photography, etc.

Can we assume that convergence unlocks a newer, brighter future for the communication industry? It is time for you to share your thoughts on the subject.

You will be broken up into teams of 5 people; each team will be asked to explore the resource links listed below, and to respond to the list of questions, also below.

 

II. Directions for the BBVista Discussion Question:

Directions: Review the following Web sites. Pick one site you really like. Write an explanation in BBVista of what you find especially moving or insightful about your site and why you picked it. Then, in some detail, explain what communication skills you think the people who made the site needed to develop (tricky question because some of the technological ones will be obvious but other types of skills may be less obvious but as important or more so). Go to BBVista to do this assignment. Use the Discussion called "Convergence Sites."

 

III. Group Work to prepare for class discussion and paper.

Once you've investigated these converged Web sites, meet with your team of 5 people to formulate responses to the questions listed below. Brainstorm the responses as a team, and then divvy them up among team members so everyone has an opportunity to present to the class (each person should take a question, research it, and respond to it) . You will be asked to share your answers to these questions, reference these (and/or other) convergence websites, and offer your opinions on converged media as being the future of the communication industry. You will discuss these questions in class and write a paper on this topic.

  • Pretend you were describing convergence to a friend or parent who has never heard of the term. How would you describe it? What is convergence?
  • What do you believe that multi-media convergence adds to the experience of the traditional news media of teleivision, radio, newspapers, and magazine? Do you see any disadvantages or room for improvement in multi-media convergence sites? Explain your thoughts in detail.
  • Can you give an example of a convergence site where the audience is participating in creating the content? What is your view on this?
  • Is multi-media convergence likely to increase participation in our democracy by bringing deeper, more interactive content to younger audiences? Why or why not? Explain your thoughts in detail.
  • What are the implications of this trend for those individuals who want to go into a career in the media?

Here are some additional background resources that will help you gain a better understanding of media convergence.

IV. Class Discussion Instructions:

In preparation for presenting your discoveries and ideas in class and in writing, the following process will be followed:

  1. Review the converged media websites for yourself.
  2. Read and answer the questions your group will work together to answer. It would be a good idea to possess your own personal sense of the issue.
  3. You will be assigned by your professor to work as part of a team of 5 people who will be asked to present their responses to these questions and provide examples.
  4. In your team, discuss the questions and review everyone's individual responses. Also, discuss your impressions of the converged Web sites you reviewed for homework.

V. Paper Topic and Instructions:

Paper Specifications and Requirements

Your paper should contain responses to these bulleted questions:

  • Pretend you were describing convergence to a friend or parent who has never heard of the term. How would you describe it? What is convergence?
  • What do you believe that multi-media convergence adds to the experience of the traditional news media of teleivision, radio, newspapers, and magazine? Do you see any disadvantages or room for improvement in multi-media convergence sites? Explain your thoughts in detail.
  • Can you give an example of a convergence site where the audience is participating in creating the content? What is your view on this?
  • Is multi-media convergence likely to increase participation in our democracy by bringing deeper, more interactive content to younger audiences? Why or why not? Explain your thoughts in detail.
  • What are the implications of this trend for those individuals who want to go into a career in the media?

You can literally list each question and follow it by your response. Truly comprehensive and well-researched responses to these questions would yield a paper between 3 - 4 pages long, double spaced. Your paper should be written in Times New Roman 12 pt type. It should include a "Works Cited" or "Reference" page that follows APA Style. Papers without a "Works Cited" or "Reference" page will immediately be marked down two full letter grades. It is assumed that if you do not cite your sources, then your work is simply opinion and not based on research. Because this is a "research paper," you must cite the sources that you've used to formulate your viewpoints. Your papers must be written in Microsoft Word and saved as: LastnameCOM101Convergence.doc (e.g., SmithCOM101Convergence.doc). Upload your papers by clicking on "Assignments" and "Convergence Paper." Attach the file. Do not cut and paste it into the assignment window.

Grading Rubric

A = An "A" paper is one that carefully considers the bulleted questions posed in this instruction sheet. This paper would reference the website examples listed above, outside research on convergence, and our in-class discusions on this topic in order to respond to the questions. The paper would present well thought out responses that demonstrate a true understanding of convergence and its implications to the future of communication.

B = A "B" paper is one that somewhat considers the bulleted questions posed in this instruction sheet. This paper would reference some of the website examples listed above, outside research on convergence, and our in-class discusions on this topic in order to respond to the questions. The paper would present responses that demonstrate an accurate understanding of convergence and its implications to the future of communication.

C = A "C" paper is one that barely considers the bulleted questions posed in this instruction sheet. This paper would only tangentially reference the website examples listed above, outside research on convergence, and our in-class discusions on this topic in order to respond to the questions. The paper would present responses that demonstrate an adequate understanding of convergence and its implications to the future of communication.

D = A "D" paper is one that fails to consider the bulleted questions posed in this instruction sheet. This paper would largely ignore the website examples listed above, outside research on convergence, and our in-class discusions on this topic in order to respond to the questions. The paper would present responses that demonstrate a limited understanding of convergence and its implications to the future of communication.

F = An "F" paper is one that is not submitted for grading, or one that completely ignores the instructions as outlined in this document.


~by Prof. Dawn Francis