Media Convergence

In a technological sense, media convergence is all about integration and interoperability, the coming together of computing networks, information and communication technologies, and digital forms of information that are inherently adaptable, delivered via “intelligent” platforms, applications, and devices. The processes that facilitate media convergence are shaped by, while also shaping, social practices and cultural values; the ways that we produce and consume digital media to communicate science (as well as politics, sports, and so on) are changing. Where once people had opportunities to collate and filter scientific information via various “traditional” communication channels, [Page 470]now digital technologies are also playing an important role.

From an end user's perspective—both those consuming and those contributing—media convergence involves digital technologies that encode and decode multiple streams of (in this case) science content. This can involve sending linked and aggregated text, galleries of still images, moving pictures, digital simulations, sounds, music, or any combination thereof, to one or more devices and platforms of the end user's choosing, such as a mobile phone or personal digital assistant (PDA). And these media can be customized and consumed “automatically” via feeds that match the user's profile as specified on the device(s) of their choice; change your profile and you rearrange the content to be downloaded or reorder the aggregated content that you have received.

This entry maps some of the current landscape for media convergence with a particular focus on what it means for communicating the sciences. It has been written with two notes of caution that are worth bearing in mind. First, the choice of examples illustrates the realized potential of some digital media for the sciences, but also the continuing potential. These selections have necessarily been small in number, and they are described here via a non-converged medium, a printed or electronic book. Second, what follows is an attempt to map what is a rapidly developing landscape, technologically, socially, economically, politically, legally, and culturally. No entry that discusses media convergence could ever claim to be future proof, but the hope is that this will provide a useful introduction for those approaching these issues for the first time.

In the spirit of the information age, it is up to the reader to use their scholarly skills to seek out further examples of media convergence in action, perhaps applying what follows to their scholarly background (be that arts, humanities, social science, or the natural sciences) or area of practical application (as a practicing scientist, media professional, student of science communication, or interested citizen).