Different people would interpret convergence differently because there isn’t a solid definition to it in regards to media. Most would understand convergence as a noun from the word converge which means to come from different directions and meet at a point. To Terry Flew (2005), Head of Media and Communication at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, convergence is part of new media and it means the bringing together of the computing, telecommunications, and media and information sectors. To a certain extent, Henry Jenkins defines convergence the same way as Flew. That being said, Jenkins (2006) interprets convergence in several ways that describes technological, industrial, cultural, and social changes.
By convergence, Jenkins means the flow of content through multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory behaviour of media audiences who will go almost anywhere in search of entertainment. In that sense, we can relate it to the original meaning of the word; various media platforms combine together to allow media content to flow through each platforms; media companies working together; consumers getting involved in order to obtain their media entertainment. Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture is a book which Jenkins (2006) wrote and in it he provides a good example of the flow of contents and how consumers obtained these contents. Jenkins said that much of American culture today is heavily influenced by other cultures from all over the worlds especially Asia. The change in culture stems from media convergence – Asian culture is spread through their contents and products in which is readily available for the American audience due to the flow of contents through various media platforms, the collaboration between media companies and the willingness of the American culture to actively search for these contents and products.
So, with that in mind, it is therefore, established that consumers’ participation is a crucial part in convergence. Convergence doesn’t happen through media appliances but within the brains of individual consumers and through their social interactions with others. (Jenkins, 2006) The involvement of media companies is certainly important too but definitely not as vital as consumers’ participation. A media company can produce any type of media content at any amount they like but if it doesn’t interest the consumers, it doesn’t even mean a thing. In this day and age, consumers’ participation is massive and important and it determines the circulation of media contents. (Jenkins, 2006) Convergence represents a cultural shift as consumers are encouraged to seek out new information and make connections between various media content. Hence, it is safe to claim that participatory culture is strongly associated with the concept of convergence.
Many media companies seem to have it in their mind that convergence represents the phasing out of old technologies with newer better ones but as Jenkins explains, a medium such as the radio and television, once it has established itself as meeting consumer demands, it continues to function within a larger system of communication options. Established media are forced to coexist with new media i.e. old media aren’t being phased out but their functions are shifted by the introduction of new technologies. So, with old and new technologies working hand in hand, Cheskin Research (cited in Jenkins, 2006) in 2002 reported that hardware is diverging whereas content is converging. That means content can be accessed through different devices and gadgets.
Considering all the above, Jenkins, thus, justifies his claim that convergence encompasses the changes in technologies, industries, markets, and audiences. It justifies the change in how consumers process their media content. It introduces participatory culture.
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