Podcast Project

http://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/episodes/167944-rider-communications-department

http://www.buzzsprout.com/22725.rss

Questions for the article “Transmedia Storytelling 101”

1. Why is transmedia storytelling important in digital convergence communication?

Transmedia storytelling is important to digital convergence communication because it encourages individuals to expand upon their knowledge of the world in which the story takes place, and to add to it through means of their own storytelling and game playing.

2. Why can the media business be beneficial more from transmedia storytelling in distributing their productions?

The example used in the article discusses comic books that lead into the story arc of comic book movies that are to be released. These comics are an added source of income for the company but also work as a marketing tool for the forthcoming production. This also works with television shows that bridge gaps between movies and books that take on the same task.

3. How can transmedia storytelling be beneficial for different bodies of audience in consuming productions?

Parts of stories told in the transmedia format should be able to stand alone, but they should also enhance and expand the world in which they take place. People who prefer one type of media over another can be encouraged to branch out in order to get a sense of completion and fulfillment from the story.

4. How can transmedia storytelling be worked out in terms of collective intelligence in the process of production?

Fan fiction is a perfect example of how collective intelligence can flesh out aspects of a story in the production process. Star Wars does this well by having selections of approved fan fiction, which are written by those not affiliated with the original project, but go on to be added into the official cannon of the work.

5. How does transmedia storytelling encourage the interactivity with the audience?

Transmedia storytelling encourages fans to learn everything about a world in which a story takes place and to sometimes add to that world through fan fiction and role playing. Most comic books nowadays are written by people who grew up reading about the characters that they are now writing about; the same thing can be said about the writers of the movies and television series based off of these characters and the worlds that they live in.

Podcasting Questions

1.  How does podcasting fit into the organizational communication in business, non-profit, and academic contexts?

Businesses have the ability to advertise on podcasts and reach special niche markets they may not be able to reach otherwise. Non-profit organizations can utilize podcasts much like a blog, to inform their followers of what is going on, what they are doing, and what their listeners can do to help. In the academic world, lectures—much like the one we listened to for this assignment—can be uploaded to the web to spread knowledge and learning tools to a wider audience outside the classroom.

2.  Why does the speaker say that podcasting extends message?

Podcasting can extend a message by making it available to more people, usually for free, all around the world at the click of a button.

3. How does podcasting encourage participation culture according to the speaker?

Podcasting encourages participation culture because it is something that literally anybody can do. Unlike radio, which requires a place on the limited space of broadcast airwaves, anybody with a computer can create a podcast and deliver it to the public for free, or when more bandwidth is required than the free sites provide, very inexpensively.

4. What are the three critical elements of development for a successfully media when the speaker talks about email, blogging, and online ad? Why does podcasting have the three elements?

The three elements of a successful podcast are that it is entertaining, that you provide fresh content on a regular basis, and that your audience desires your content on a regular basis.

5. How does the concept of digital media convergence get applied in podcasting when the speaker discusses the compounding media?

Podcasts are a great example of media convergence. They’re either video or audio and they allow for users to interact with them. Listeners can then post a podcast that they like to a social media site, a blog, or create their own podcast. Podcasts often have social media sites so that they can directly interact with their listeners and so their listeners can directly interact with them.

Podcasting Exercise

Listen to the podcast
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It’s the Audience, Stupid!

What is the new approach to storytelling and how is it being used to broaden audiences?

The new approach to storytelling is to engage the audience and to give them what they want.

How is digital media being used to engage audiences?

Digital media allows for consumers of media to also be participants in the media.

Give three specific examples of how you can incorporate storytelling into an article you write?

One way to incorporate storytelling into a written article is to connect the story with something personal. Another is to use another’s story to give your article a more human feel. Yet another is to give the article a narrative, rather than being just a statement of facts, the article then becomes a story.

All the Aggregation That’s Fit to Aggregate

What does aggregation mean?

Aggregation is to take existing content and compile it into one place.

Why does the author describe Arianna Huffington as “the queen of aggregation?”  Go to the Huffington Post and provide an example.

Arianna Huffington is described as “the queen of aggregation” because she pioneered the idea of taking the most interesting and popular news stories, from numerous sources, and compiling them into one location so that readers could easily access the information. From the Huffington Post’s website I have come to the conclusion that about 30% of the content is direct links to other media outlets such as CNN, The NY Times, The Weather Channel, The Washington Post, Etc.

Is aggregation a threat to professional journalism – why or why not?

I don’t believe that aggregation is a threat to professional journalism because most aggregation services still use content generated by professional journalists. In fact, the trend of aggregation has gotten consumers used to more and more content, and that content needs to be generated by someone.

Photojournalism in the Age of New Media

A professional journalist receives a photo captured by a citizen journalist….

·         What are the positives?

Usually free, don’t need to send photo journalist to the field, citizen journalists can get to places other journalists can’t.

·         Why does the professional journalist need to be careful?

Because verifying the information can be problematic, as can finding the owner of the material.

·         Why might the content of the photo be called into question?

If the original source cannot be contacted then the content of a photo may be called into question.

·         How does citizen photojournalist impact the job of the professional photojournalist?

At this point I would argue that they don’t very much. Citizen photojournalists are often in places where professionals can’t get or would be too dangerous to send them to. Also, the photo quality of most citizen photojournalists pales in comparison to that of a professional. That being said, I think that in the future the competition will be as such that news organizations will have little to no reason to employ professional photojournalists anymore.

Questions for the article “Youtube”

1.      How does the interaction online become the key for Youtube video production community? Please use the media convergence concept to explain it.

Interaction online is key to YouTube because it relies on user generated content. Also, without feedback, people would be less likely to continue to post their videos to YouTube.

2.      The article mentioned that the teens are mainly passively consumers of Youtube being on the periphery. But seven out of 10 most subscribed partners are teens and young adults. How do you explain this use of Youtube in youth?

I’d explain the fact that seven of ten most subscribed partners on YouTube being teens and young adults are teens and young adults are the most participatory viewers on YouTube. True, the 25-35 demographic may watch more videos on YouTube, but they’re less likely to create playlists, subscribe to content producers, or comment on videos themselves. As a member I the 25-35 demographic I’m happy that this is true, because if you saw what the average comment on a YouTube video was, you wouldn’t want to have any part in that. Teens and young adults have the most subscribers because they are the ones who related to teens and young adults who do the subscribing.

3.      How does Youtube use different techniques to create an online community that is different from other websites?

They stream large size content.

4.      What is the next step for Youtube development? Please use the concept of participatory culture and media development theory we discussed to explain your answer.

There are two possible next steps for YouTube to take—either both or one or the other; one would be that YouTube makes collaborations on projects easier by providing space for raw content to be uploaded and for users to “invite” other users to collaborate on projects (like being invited as a moderator on a Facebook community page). The other would be the introduction of 3D technology.

Social Media

Social Media Use is Soaring—Tine to Reconsider Your 2013 Strategy

·         What did you learn about the growing trends in the use of social media?

That Pintrest has had the largest growth, but Facebook still dominates people’s time on the internet.

·         What takeaways do you see from the data?

One thing that I noticed was an 80% increase in Google+, I think that this may be due to the fact that a Google account was needed to sign up for Google+ in the first place, recently they have expanded Google+ to anybody with a Google account. The 80% increase of Google+ users may not even know that they are Google+ users.

Technology & Internet:  10 Social Media Tips Every Business Needs to Know

·         How does business uses social media?

Businesses use social media platforms less socially, and less personally. It is used to disseminate information, not to share personal stories with your target market.

·         Were you surprised by what “social media is NOT?”

I was not surprised at what “social media is NOT.” Businesses should not be using Facebook the same way that personal users use it.

·         Describe some of the things that “social media IS.”

Social media is a free outlet that users spend lots of time on. It is a creative way for businesses to reach their audience, but it should only be part of their marketing strategy.

·         What are the takeaways for business from this article?

Use social media, but don’t use it frivolously.