Media Convergence

Multimedia plays a crucial role in enhancing the ability of journalists and content creators to tell stories in more impactful and engaging ways. According to Karlsson and Holt (2016), using texts, images, audio, and videos together significantly helps deliver messages to the audience more effectively. These multimedia tools enable journalists to target different audience segments and broaden their influence. Whether by simplifying information or showing visual aspects that make complex issues easier to understand, multimedia is key in modern storytelling.

In my work on the Our Green Lung project, I focused on reshaping content to align with written texts, explanatory images, and videos to reach a wider audience and raise awareness about environmental issues. Integrating multimedia helped me achieve this goal, as the use of pictures and videos brings the information to life, making it easier for the general public to understand, even those who are not experts in environmental topics. For example, a video explaining the impact of pollution can be more effective than just written texts because it presents the data in a visual way that’s easier to grasp.

However, Erdal (2019) highlights that media convergence can sometimes burden workflow, especially when journalists are required to produce content across multiple platforms in less time. The pressure to create news stories in different formats can lead to a drop in quality standards, as the main focus shifts to speed and quantity rather than depth and quality. In large-scale projects that require the production of new content on a daily or weekly basis, it becomes difficult to maintain a high level of quality when there’s a constant need to create materials that include texts, videos, and images.

On the other hand, media convergence does not necessarily mean increased costs or more complex production. Huang and Heider (2007) point out that technological advances have made it possible for journalists to create diverse content using simple tools. Thanks to laptops, smartphones, and software that’s either free or available at low cost, journalists can quickly produce and publish stories. For example, a journalist can record a video or live stream an event using their smartphone and instantly post it across multiple platforms. This allows immediate access to the audience without needing expensive production studios.

My experience with Our Green Lung confirmed that media convergence can be beneficial in small or limited projects that do not require daily production. In this context, the available tools and multimedia were sufficient to produce good content that met the needs of the target audience without negatively affecting quality or significantly increasing costs. However, when considering large media projects, it becomes clear that there are challenges in maintaining both quality and productivity at the same time.

To summarize, media convergence offers significant opportunities for expanding the reach of journalistic content but also comes with challenges and obstacles. While multimedia provides powerful tools to connect with the audience effectively, media organizations may need to find a careful balance between quantity and quality to ensure that content standards are not compromised in the process.

References

Erdal, I. (2019). Convergence in/of journalism. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-793

Huang, J. S., & Heider, D. (2007). Media convergence: A case study of a cable news station. International Journal on Media Management 9(3), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/14241270701521717

Karlsson, M., & Holt, K. (2016). Journalism on the web. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-113