Media Convergence:
Some people like to define media convergence simply by stating it to be a merger of mass media and communication outlets. In some cases multi-utility of the same gadget or different media was also attributed to be a convergence. There are countless examples that can be found and with the advancement of technology , manufacturers and companies must learn to keep up.
One example of media convergence would be the Gazette Video channel found on the Montreal Gazette website. The Gazette’s website streams numerous videos from all types of Categories from news to sports. One of the videos posted was a “High water rescue in Arizona” which was originally posted in ABC15.com’s website. In the video you can see an electric worker stranded in his truck in the middle of a flooded street when a rescue team make their way over to save him. By sharing these videos, other news outlets can post them giving more people faster and easier access to news happening all across the globe. That’s the beauty of media convergence!
Multimedia Journalism:
Multimedia journalism can be found more and more all around us. Newspaper companies all over are trying to embrace the new phenomenon of multimedia journalism by implementing its practices in their work. One major newspaper that sets the precedent of multimedia for the positioning of the newspaper industry is The New York Times.
You can find just about any type of multimedia and interactive features including audio slide shows, photos, special reports and video on travel, politics, autos, movies, fashion, and science on the NY Times website.
One example of multimedia journalism that caught my attention was a slideshow of the tornado that struck New York City on Saturday. The tornado flooded roads, felled power lines and forced the delay of the United States Open. Readers from the NY area sent in pictures to the New York Times and selected photos were posted on the newspapers website. This photo as photographed by a reader on Staten Island demonstrates the impact this tornado had on New York City. You can see the storm clouds move over Manhattan, leaving the city in darkness. It helps the readers understand what the tornado was like. Even reporting is not limited to traditional media outlets anymore. Freelance journalists can make use of different new media to produce multimedia pieces for their news stories. It engages global audiences and tells stories with technology, which develops new communication techniques for both media producers and consumers.
Thanks for the example in Montreal, which illustrates the fact that media convergence is not simply a U.S. phenomenon. And your multimedia example highlights storytelling on multiple platforms, as well as audience engagement.
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