Henry Jenkins

1. What are Henry Jenkins’ ideas about how the media landscape is changing?

Spectatorial culture is giving way to participatory culture. Average citizens now have the tools to tell their own stories, rather than just the big bosses having the apparatus to produce media and tell stories. This is also apparent as tales which in the 20th Century were just told by big industries who had the rights to them, whereas now tales are re-told by anyone who can create videos on YouTube and other such websites.

2. What is ‘convergence culture’?

This refers to how media can be played across numerous channels and platforms now such as the internet and different websites, and all the different tools for viewing such as a phone, tablet or computer. The Wikinomics idea that we all contribute to create information rather than just using an individual source.

3. How are Jenkins’ ideas similar to those of David Gauntlett and Michael Wesch?

Jenkins' ideas are similar to Gauntlett's as they both note how citizens have the power to tell their own stories now and to contribute to a collective source of news, rather than just 'media Gods' contributing. Wesch's ideas could also be seen as similar to Jenkins' as he notes how the internet can be a forum for everyone to contribute and re-create tales with their own videos.

4. How might we disagree with Jenkins’ utopian ideas about the media? (Answering this question may require some independent thought – be very afraid.)

It could be argued that although everyone now has the power to produce and tell stories, it is still only the major industries who have a wide enough audience to have their views heard and taken notice of, because they are still seen as the dominating and most reliable providers of news and entertainment.