Media Convergence

Media convergence is an overarching term that describes a number of developments in the field of mass communication. The term has several connotations, and it is important to understand its different meanings and uses and their implications. In general, media convergence refers to the technological, industrial, and cultural changes brought on by digital technologies. From a technological perspective, the merging of video, audio, and text into a single platform has impacted the production and consumption of media content. From an industrial perspective, media convergence is the result of the merging of media industries that were previously unrelated. From a cultural perspective, media convergence has allowed audiences to participate actively in cultural production. Media convergence has therefore had a widespread impact on social, economic, and political life.

The term convergence was popularized in the 1980s by Ithiel de Sola Pool in his 1983 book Technologies of Freedom, in which he predicted that technological innovation would lead to a convergence of modes of communication, reconfiguring media policy frameworks related to the First Amendment. In the 1990s, Nicholas Negroponte predicted in his book Being Digital that media convergence would significantly transform the media landscape. Broadcasting would be replaced by “narrowcasting” to niche markets.

The most common use of the term media convergence is a technological one. Technological convergence refers to the shift from analog to digital technology, which provides the digital delivery of information. Technological convergence allows for the intermixing of audio, text, and video content, resulting in multimedia forms of communication. Previous modes of communication tended to be medium-specific. For example, television was [Page 209]broadcast in a one-to-many form of communication. Instead, technological convergence allows for media content to be delivered in multiple forms. The New York Times, for example, can deliver its journalistic content in several forms, including video, text, photos, and interactive material, on its Website.

Media convergence has increased users' mobility and interactivity. For example, smart phones allow users to make phone calls but also access Websites, download information, and take photos and videos and upload them to social networking sites.

Technologically, media convergence has had an impact on content creation, distribution, and consumption. Convergence requires that media content be delivered and accessible in digital formats. In addition to influencing content creation, convergence has affected how users receive information. More households receive information via the Internet than other traditional forms of communication, such as print or radio. Finally, technological convergence has an impact on the way audiences consume information. Technological convergence allows users to access content in different platforms. Users can access the specific media content in which they are interested, in the forms they prefer.

Convergence also refers to the merging of media industries that were previously unrelated. Historically, media industries in the United States were governed under distinct regulatory models. Each medium had its own function and market. The broadcast regulatory model, for example, saw the airwaves as a scarce resource that should be used to promote the public interest. Regulations discouraged cross-ownership as a way to maintain localism and diversity. For example, a 1975 rule barred a single company from owning a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same market. However, the trend toward deregulation in the 1980s loosened media ownership rules. Deregulation was intended to spur technological innovation and promote competition. The most significant policy change was seen in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which removed many of the previous ownership restrictions, allowing for cross-ownership. The act led to media consolidation and the formation of media conglomerates.

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