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Audiences (the theoretical framework)
Quick questions on Participatory culture (Jenkins and Shirky) - OCR A-Level Media Studies audiences
5short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are jenkins?Show answer
Fans form communities that circulate and produce content, and Jenkins's convergence culture describes how the boundaries between producers and audiences blur as content flows across platforms and audiences help shape it. The audience is not just active in interpretation (Hall) but active in production.
What is shirky?Show answer
Shirky's end of audience theory argues the internet and digital tools have ended the traditional broadcast model in which a few producers spoke to a passive mass. People are now prosumers (producers and consumers at once): they publish, share, comment on and create content (user-generated content) and collaborate at scale. The old one-way relationship between institutions and audiences has become a two-way, participatory one.
What is the collapse of the producer-audience divide?Show answer
Both theories see a collapse of the producer-audience divide. This connects audiences directly to media industries (convergence) and to identity (Gauntlett: audiences select and create their own identities). The participatory set products and forms (a game with user creation, a brand with active social media) are the clearest evidence.
What is q1?Show answer
Explain what Jenkins means by "textual poaching". [5 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain how Shirky's "end of audience" applies to one participatory set product or form. [10 marks]
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