548 Appendix B Understanding Mass and Mediated Communicationsome groups or individuals with whom we would prob-
ably rather not have such connectedness—such as hate
groups, terrorists, and sexual predators—remember
that open access means facilitating the participation of
many different voices, not just the ones we like.Empowering Individuals
Even artist Andy Warhol, who once predicted that
eventually, everyone would have the opportunity to be
famous for fifteen minutes, might have been surprised
by the ease with which anyone can put themselves
into media today. Blogs, YouTube, Twitter, and even
professional news organizations offer opportunities for
citizen journalists to report and comment on events
in their communities. Even viewer comments on a
news show’s Facebook page can influence the stories
that later get covered (Jacobson, 2013).
Individuals can also contribute their own entertainment messages online.
Many forms of user-generated content have emerged, ranging from simple
home videos uploaded to YouTube to elaborate mash-ups of popular songs or
artworks (Pavlik & McIntosh, 2013). Content that manages to break into mass
media culture is said to have “gone viral”—that is, spread from user to user (like
an infection) via Web links or social media. Teen idol Justin Bieber first rose to
fame in this manner, while others have more short-lived viral lives (such as Nor-
wegian comedy duo Ylvis wondering “What does the fox say?” or office workers
doing the “Harlem Shake”). Social networking on Facebook or Twitter has also
allowed individuals to elevate their everyday personal lives to become more pub-
lic ones. Our status updates and photos can alert everyone we know (and friends
of friends of people we know) to what we are doing, feeling, and thinking. We
even use social networking to feel more connected to the personal thoughts and
feelings of celebrities, limited of course to the thoughts they purposely release to
us via Twitter.
In short, media convergence enables individual voices to contribute to news,
politics, and culture. Although the quality of their messages varies greatly, there
is some sense that allowing more voices to contribute to what has become known
as the marketplace of ideas—the open forum in which ideas compete—is ben-
eficial for society as a whole (Abrams v. United States, 1919).Barriers to Participation
Media convergence may open up access to social, political, and cultural par-
ticipation, but only for those people who are willing and able to take advantage
of these technologies. Although Internet use is widespread, much exposure to
media is still dominated by traditional mass media, especially television (Stelter,
2011). There are also several groups whose access to computers or high-speed
Internet is limited or who are reluctant to use technology. And even among
those who actively use converging media, effective participation may be limited
by the ways in which they use media.WHETHER IT’S A funny
photo of your cat or a “Harlem
Shake” flash mob video, all it
takes is enough social media
attention for something to go
viral. Mike Brown/ZUMA Press/NewscomCONNECT
In an age when anyone
has access to mass media,
public speaking becomes
an even more important
skill. Social media give
voice to those whom tra-
ditional, more linear forms
of mass media tended to
ignore. And the opportu-
nity for instant audience
feedback—in the form of
responses, re-tweets, and
replies—makes social me-
dia an especially interac-
tive forum for those who
seek public access.19_OHA_45766_App_B_530_556.indd 54819_OHA_45766_App_B_530_556.indd 548 13/10/14 5:39 PM13/10/14 5:39 PM