Introduction
In today’s interconnected world, the media has become an essential tool for people to access information, stay informed, and communicate with others across the globe. With the advent of the internet and the proliferation of digital technologies, the global media landscape has undergone a significant transformation. The development of new digital technologies and the internet has significantly altered the media landscape. Traditional media has been challenged and driven to change in response to shifting consumer expectations by the rise of new media types, such as social media platforms and online news sources (Verhoef et al., 2021). A change in the way media is created and consumed has resulted from the widespread use of smartphones and other mobile devices to enable individuals to consume information while on the go. Traditional media outlets, such as newspapers and television, are no longer the only sources of news and information. As an alternative, users now have access to a variety of internet resources, such as blogs, podcasts, and social networking websites (Verhoef et al., 2021). This has caused the media landscape to become more fragmented and given rise to hybrid media systems, in which old and new forms of media coexist and engage in mutual interaction. This essay explores the concept of media hybridity in greater detail, examining how different media platforms and technologies intersect and interact to create a complex and ever-changing media ecosystem.
Background
The concept of a hybrid media system has gained significant attention in recent years as a result of the rapid evolution of technology and its impact on media. A hybrid media system, according to Chadwick (2017), is the outcome of the fusion of diverse media platforms and the cohabitation of conventional and new media. The idea emphasizes how various media logics interact with one another and have an effect on the media system as a whole. Chadwick’s (2017) explanation of a hybrid media system expands on the earlier research of academics like Jenkins, who contended that modern media are defined by the fusion of ancient and new media technologies (Thussu, 2021). However, Chadwick’s concept goes beyond technological convergence to emphasize the importance of social and cultural practices in shaping media systems. He argues that hybrid media systems are not just about technological innovations but also how media are integrated into social and cultural practices.
One of its fundamental features is the hybrid media system’s ability to subvert established media hierarchies and structures. As noted by Chadwick (2017), the emergence of new media platforms, such as social media, has created a more level playing field in terms of access to information and the ability to disseminate content. This has disrupted the traditional gatekeeping function of media institutions and given rise to new forms of participation and collaboration among media actors. The hybrid media system also highlights the importance of user-generated content and the role of audiences in shaping media content and narratives (Thussu, 2021). This hybrid system has brought about changes in the way audiences interact with media. Audiences can now actively participate in creating and disseminating content, leading to the democratization of media production. Social media platforms have become a tool for citizen journalism, allowing individuals to share information and participate in public discourse (Estelle, 2022). The hybrid media system emphasizes the significance of user-generated material as well as the influence of audiences on media narratives and content.
Digital Technology
Technology has become an integral part of society, affecting virtually every aspect of daily life. In recent years, technology has changed our lives in many different ways. Technology has significantly altered our lives in recent years in many different ways. The media landscape changed as a result of the development of the internet in the late 20th century (hillyer, 2020). Thanks to the internet, people may now access media and information from anywhere in the globe at any time. As a result, new media channels including social networking sites, online news websites, and streaming services have emerged (Camilleri, & Falzon, 2020). The production of new types of media material and changes in how we consume it has been made possible by digital technology, which has had a significant influence on the media sector (Estelle, 2022). With the increasing availability of high-speed internet and the widespread use of smartphones and other mobile devices, consumers can access an unprecedented amount of media content (ELAC, 2022).
Digital technologies have significantly promoted media hybridity by creating new platforms and tools that allow creators to experiment with different media forms and cultural elements. With the development of digital technology, media creators can blend several media types, such as text, pictures, and sound, in novel ways that were before impractical, giving rise to new, hybridized media forms (Coteli, 2019). The ability to blend several media forms and cultural components to create new, hybridized media forms has now become more accessible to content creators (Aslam et al., 2018). These technologies have also facilitated the collaboration and global sharing of creators’ work. For example, streaming services like Netflix, Youtube, Amazon Prime, and Spotify make it simple for individuals to access music, movies, TV series, and other types of material from across the world (Coteli, 2019). As a result, many cultural components have been blended together, and cultural interchange has been encouraged since it is so simple for individuals to find and consume material from around the globe. People may now obtain news and information through many methods (Aslam et al., 2018). The increasing use of smartphones has also allowed consumers to get news and information while on the go, changing how media is created and consumed (Silver et al., 2019). The traditional newspaper industry has been transformed by digital technologies, with many newspapers now offering online versions of their publications and incorporating video content into their online articles, creating a more immersive experience for readers (Silver et al., 2019). The number of individuals who obtain their news from online sources has overtaken that of conventional print newspapers, according to Pew Research Center research. In contrast to 16% of People who frequently read print newspapers, 43% of Americans in 2018 stated they frequently get their news online (A.W. Geiger, 2019).
In recent years, podcasts have also grown in popularity, becoming a top choice among the younger generation for news consumption. They come in several languages and can cover a wide range of subjects, such as news, politics, entertainment, and culture (Walker & Matsa, 2021). They feature hosts and guests from various ethnic origins who discuss various issues from their experiences and points of view (Strickland et al., 2021). This intellectual interchange has the potential to produce new, hybridized cultural forms that combine many viewpoints and values. Moreover, podcasts allow content creators to experiment with various media formats and cultural cues to produce fresh material (Strickland et al., 2021). Podcasts, for instance, can use many musical or sound effects genres, as well as other languages and traditional cultural components, to create fresh, creative media (Strickland et al., 2021). The ubiquity of podcasts has led to several services developing smartphone and mobile device applications. The potential audience for podcasts has been considerably increased as people can now download podcasts directly to their phones and listen to them from anywhere globally and across all cultures (Berry, 2020). The research found that 43% of Americans listen to podcasts at least once a month, and 55% of Americans have downloaded one (Meyers, 2022). Many major media firms, like the New York Times, have launched their podcast programs, demonstrating how essential podcasts have become as a news, entertainment, and educational medium.
The rise of Social Media
The growth of social media platforms has also ushered in a new era of media consumption. Mobile devices have made it simpler to exchange material and receive information while on the road in recent years. Users may access their daily information needs through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter without using conventional media like newspapers, television, and radio (Walker & Matsa, 2021). The use of social media platforms by news organizations and other conventional media channels has grown essential. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, 68% of adults in the United States use Facebook, and 74% of those users get news from the platform. Twitter is also a popular platform for news consumption, with 45% of its users getting news from the site (Zamith, 2022). Several forms of online-only news outlets and businesses have emerged; as a result, focusing on social media and creating content only for these channels. In order to gather information for stories and interact with audiences, social media platforms have also evolved into indispensable tools for journalists. In order to reach a broader audience, traditional media sources have started incorporating social media information into their news reporting (Ortiz-Ospina, 2019). Tweets and other social media messages are frequently highlighted prominently in news programs and publications. Integrating social media into mainstream news outlets has led to the production of an increasing number of hybrid forms of journalism and the exchange of different cultures (Ortiz-Ospina, 2019). Social media platforms provide a space for people to share their customs, language, music, food, and fashion, among other cultural elements, with a global audience. Due to this, new hybrid cultural forms and trends have emerged, fusing many cultural components and viewpoints.
The emergence of new digital media has also led to the proliferation of what is often referred to as citizen journalism. Citizen journalists regularly report on breaking news and conduct journalistic investigations using social media and other digital tools. As a result, the general public now has more influence and may participate in the news reporting process (Estelle, 2022). This has effectively democratized the media process by allowing regular people direct control over how news is created and disseminated. Moreover, non-elite actors now have a voice in public debate thanks to the Internet and social media platforms, which may challenge links between the media and political elites and change the power dynamics among various players (Olaniran & Williams, 2020). Internet communication, as experts have acknowledged, “has the potential to weaken media-political elite links” and change the dynamics of media power systems.” Internet tools have made it possible for people and organizations to work around conventional gatekeepers and affect the public agenda through new kinds of activism and citizen journalism (Anderson & Rainie, 2020). Social media has made it possible to share information over a wide geographic region, enabling individuals all over the world to follow events as they develop. Social media platforms additionally give content creators a place to experiment with various media formats and cultural references while developing new works (Anderson & Rainie, 2020). Mixing various musical or dance genres, using many languages, or incorporating old cultural components into fresh, cutting-edge media are a few examples of how this might be done. Tiktok illustrates how social media gives users a platform to explore various media formats and cultural cues to produce fresh, cutting-edge media (Newport, 2022). TikTok users may make quick videos that are set to music or other audio samples. The algorithm behind TikTok, which gives users material catered to their interests and preferences, is one of the platform’s distinctive characteristics (Perez, 2021). As a result of this algorithm, users have started posting videos that include famous music, noises, or trends in order to become more viral challenges and trends on the platform (Newport, 2022). In order to develop fresh, cutting-edge media forms, content creators may now experiment with various media formats and cultural components in the program. Many TikTok content creators blend different styles of music or dance in their videos, creating a hybridized form of music or dance that reflects their diverse cultural influences. TikTok is one of the world’s fastest-growing social media networks, with over 689 million monthly active users, according to a survey by Business Insider Intelligence (Intelligence, 2022). This demonstrates how TikTok and other social media platforms in promoting cultural exchange and showcase the hybrid nature of global media.
The emergence of Transmedia storytelling
The emergence of transmedia storytelling can be traced back to the early 2000s when media companies began to realize the potential of telling stories across multiple platforms. The success of films like The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogy inspired media companies to explore new ways of storytelling that would engage audiences in a more immersive and interactive way (Donnelly, 2023). These films extended the tale beyond the conventional bounds of a movie by using numerous media types, including comic books, video games, and web material. Transmedia storytelling is also a new phenomenon resulting from developing new media technologies and distribution channels. Integrating many platforms and media into a single story arc is known as transmedia storytelling (Basaraba & Cauvin, 2023). Transmedia storytelling also involves global distribution, which makes it accessible to audiences in different countries and regions around the world. As a result, a diverse audience may be exposed to the cultural aspects of the narrative, fostering a dialogue between different cultural viewpoints and ideas (Basaraba & Cauvin, 2023). This method of presenting a tale has recently gained popularity, especially in international media, where it has been applied to produce hybrid narratives that draw from several cultural sources. One example of this is the fictional African nation of Wakanda, which has been used as a transmedia storytelling platform to showcase a hybrid cultural identity. Wakanda is the setting of Marvel Comics’ Black Panther, a superhero comic book that debuted in 1966 (Niessen, 2021). The character of Black Panther was the first Black superhero to appear in mainstream American comics, and the setting of Wakanda was presented as a technologically advanced African nation that had never been colonized by European powers. Wakanda has appeared in many comic books throughout the years, in addition to animated shows, video games, and, most recently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Wakanda was initially shown in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War, when it was portrayed as a covert, technologically sophisticated country with a rich cultural heritage (Faramelli, 2019). Wakanda was portrayed in the movie with a combination of futuristic style and technology as well as traditional African cultural customs, including wearing masks and the value of storytelling (Faramelli, 2019). This fusion of traditional African culture with cutting-edge technology clearly illustrates how cultural aspects have been hybridized in international media. The world-building around Wakanda continued in the 2018 film Black Panther, which was set almost entirely in the fictional African nation. The film drew heavily from traditional African culture, incorporating elements such as African masks, clothing, and jewelry, as well as traditional dances and music (Faramelli, 2019). At the same time, the film also featured advanced technology, such as vibranium-powered weapons and futuristic transportation (Faramelli, 2019). Beyond the films, the fictitious nation of Wakanda has been further developed in Marvel Comics, with various series delving into its history and culture. The use of storytelling and other aspects of traditional African culture have been included in these comics, which also build on the cutting-edge technology that was first shown in the movie.
Jay David Bolter, a media theorist, and author contends that the advent of digital media has fundamentally changed how we tell stories and has made it possible for audiences to connect and collaborate more (Thompson, 2020). He notes that transmedia storytelling represents a new way of thinking about narrative, one that embraces the hybridity and multiplicity of contemporary culture. Bolter also notes that transmedia storytelling has the potential to develop a brand-new type of literacy that places a strong emphasis on the capacity to use and interact with a variety of media platforms (Thompson, 2020). He contends that transmedia storytelling might promote a greater level of audience involvement by enabling them to investigate and connect with narratives in novel and fascinating ways (Thompson, 2020). Through transmedia storytelling, creators can build a rich and immersive world that draws from a variety of cultural sources, ultimately creating a hybrid narrative that is unique and engaging. Jenkins asserts that because transmedia storytelling encourages increased audience engagement and cooperation, it signals a change in the way that tales are conveyed (Thompson, 2020). He points out that developing a wider story world that invites audience participation and engagement is the goal of transmedia storytelling rather than just conveying the same story in several media. Jenkins also emphasizes how the use of transmedia storytelling may result in the creation of hybrid cultural forms that combine many cultural influences to produce something fresh and intriguing (Thompson, 2020). He notes that transmedia storytelling can challenge traditional notions of cultural identity, allowing creators to explore new and diverse perspectives that may not have been possible in traditional storytelling formats (Thompson, 2020). The advent of transmedia storytelling has had a major influence on the entertainment sector as well, forcing media corporations to consider other channels and formats when producing and distributing material. Take the Japanese franchise Pokémon as an example. In Japan, Pokémon was first released as a video game, but it soon gained popularity and spawned an anime TV series, trading cards, comic books, and films (Sharp, 2021). The series has had a considerable cultural impact on several nations, including Japan, and it serves as an example of how media can meld and shape other cultures.
Journalists are also utilizing the transmedia strategy to interact with their audiences in novel ways. The NYT exhibits a new transmedia narrative paradigm for the unrelenting flow of daily news reportage as part of its continuous effort to redefine itself for the media landscape of the twenty-first century. For instance, members of The New York Times Digital Studio may access news articles that detail a specific story world (Moloney, 2020). The 1619 Project on the history and continuing effects of slavery in North America, the hidden economics of the New York taxi medallion system, and the COVID-19 pandemic are examples of recent NYT initiatives that investigate subset transmedia storyworlds. By drawing on this international network, the new Digital Studio has created a new source of socio-cultural data and context for NYT reporting (Hannah-Jones, 2019). This indicates a trend away from conventional media formats and toward more creative, interactive storytelling techniques that may engage a larger audience. Transmedia storytelling allows for a larger variety of viewpoints and perspectives on the information being created due to the utilization of numerous platforms and media types. Media businesses are increasingly expected to go outside of traditional media formats and platforms when generating and delivering content since the capacity to engage audiences across various platforms has become a crucial component in the success of many entertainment brands.
Conclusion
The dawn of novel technologies and the internet have substantially changed the media landscape. This has led to the creation of hybrid systems where different forms of media coexist and interact with one another. It is evident that all global media are hybrid systems, which incorporate elements of different media forms to provide users with a rich and diverse media experience. By enabling media professionals to produce more engaging and interactive content, the idea of hybrid media has changed the media sector (Coteli, 2019). Hybrid media has also made it possible for users to access information and entertainment from different sources and platforms seamlessly. Moreover, hybrid media has enabled the media to reach a wider audience and break down cultural barriers by providing content that is accessible and relevant to people from different backgrounds. As such, global media represents a powerful tool for promoting diversity and cultural exchange, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse range of cultural identities that exist in our world.
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