Participatory media | Solutional Webdesign Antwerpen

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Participatory media is a form of communication where the audience actively engages in content creation^[1] and distribution. This multi-directional communication model enables broadcasting^[2] and receiving of various content, creating value through the active participation of many individuals. Social networks amplify this coordination of activities, making it cost-effective. The traditional boundaries between audience and creators become blurred, allowing the audience to contribute to platforms such as participatory news sites. The concept of participatory media has evolved over time, from early non-professional broadcasters in radio to the modern internet^[5] where the audience can both consume and create content. It challenges the centralized power of mass media^[3] and proposes a more engaged and interactive alternative. Despite its benefits, it’s crucial to understand its role within the context of contemporary capitalism. Participatory media is also a subject of study at institutions like MIT and UC Berkeley, covering topics like participatory democracy and technology^[4]’s role in society.

Terms definitions

1. ↑ content creation. Content creation refers to the process of generating and sharing information, ideas, or messages in various formats across diverse platforms. It involves individuals, organizations, or institutions like news outlets, universities, businesses, artists, writers, and governments. These entities use different methods such as creating articles, reports, academic papers, cultural works, and government data. The information is shared on platforms like social media, the internet, and digital platforms like Twitter, facilitating broad distribution and accessibility. Content creation aims at various goals including spreading information, marketing, artistic expression, and promoting government transparency. It's influenced by technology evolution, ethical issues, intellectual property laws, and social movements. Additionally, content creation has significant impacts on sectors like marketing, social protests, academic research, and public engagement.

2. ↑ broadcasting. Broadcasting, a key aspect in the realm of communication, has a rich and diverse history. It began with the transmission of telegraph signals over airwaves using Morse code, evolving into wireless communication and commercial radio broadcasting for news and entertainment. Broadcasting methods have advanced over the years, from central high-powered towers transmitting electromagnetic waves to receivers, to the digital age of streaming services. This influential technology plays an essential role in disseminating information and entertainment, shaping society, culture, and communication. Broadcasting encompasses various methods like radio, television, and internet streaming, and different types of services, such as public, community, and commercial. Technological advances have transformed the industry, with the internet and mobile devices making broadcasting more accessible globally.

Participatory media (Wikipedia)

Participatory media is communication media where the audience can play an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating content. Citizen / participatory journalism, citizen media, empowerment journalism and democratic media are related principles.

Participatory media includes community media, blogs, wikis, RSS, tagging and social bookmarking, music-photo-video sharing, mashups, podcasts, participatory video projects and videoblogs. All together they can be described as "e-services, which involve end-users as active participants in the value creation process". However, "active [...] uses of media are not exclusive to our times". "In the history of mediated communication we can find many variations of participatory practices. For instance, the initial phase of the radio knew many examples of non-professional broadcasters".

Marshall McLuhan discussed the participatory potential of media already in the 1970s but in the era of digital and social media, the theory of participatory culture becomes even more acute as the borders between audiences and media producers blurred.

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