Digital media

About: Digital media is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 17508 publications have been published within this topic receiving 266693 citations. The topic is also known as: machine-readable data.

Beyond Myth and Metaphor: Narrative in Digital Media

Abstract: The concept of narrative has been widely invoked by theorists of digital textuality, but the promotion of what is described as the storytelling power of the computer has often relied on shallow metaphors, loose conceptions of narrative, and literary models that ignore the distinctive properties of the digital medium. Two myths have dominated this theorization. The myth of the Aleph (as I call it) presents the digital text as a finite text that contains an infinite number of stories. The myth of the Holodeck envisions digital narrative as a virtual environment in which the user becomes a character in a plot similar to those of Victorian novels or Shakespearean tragedies. Both of these myths rely on questionable assumptions: that any permutation of a collection of lexias results in a coherent story; that it is aesthetically desirable to be the hero of a story; and that digital narrativity should cover the same range of emotional experiences as literary narrative. Here I argue that digital narrative should emancipate itself from literary models. But I also view narrative as a universal structure that transcends media. This article addresses the question of reconciling the inherent linearity of narrative structures with the multiple paths made possible by the interactive nature of the digital text by distinguishing four forms of interactivity, which result from the cross-classification of two binaries: internal versus external interactivity; and exploratory versus ontological. Each of these categories is shown to favor different narrative themes and different variations of the universal narrative structure.

The Story So Far: What We Know About the Business of Digital Journalism

Abstract: Bill Grueskin, Ava Seave, and Lucas Graves spent close to a year tracking the reporting of on-site news organizations--some of which were founded over a century ago and others established only in the past year or two--and found in their traffic and audience engagement patterns, allocation of resources, and revenue streams ways to increase the profits of digital journalism. In chapters covering a range of concerns, from advertising models and alternative platforms to the success of paywalls, the benefits and drawbacks to aggregation, and the character of emerging news platforms, this volume identifies which digital media strategies make money, which do not, and which new approaches look promising. The most comprehensive analysis to date of digital journalism's financial outlook, this text confronts business challenges both old and new, large and small, suggesting news organizations embrace the unique opportunities of the internet rather than adapt web offerings to legacy business models. The authors ultimately argue that news organizations and their audiences must learn to accept digital platforms and their constant transformation, which demand faster and more consistent innovation and investment.

Putting a Face on Small Businesses: Visibility, Viability, and Sustainability the Impact of Social Media on Small Business Marketing

Abstract: INTRODUCTION This era is the information age - the age of technology - and social media are naturally an integral part of that. Currently, most people, including business leaders, are using Social Media which provides opportunities for organizations to engage, to develop a rapport with their customers, and to foster a community to accelerate sales and awareness. From the organizational perspective, social media provides the medium whereby organizations can directly communicate with their consumers. Over the several years, social media have redefined the digital media landscape and, in the process, have changed the way organizations disseminate marketing messages. As a result, social media have impacted the perceptions of customers about the organizations (Lipsman, Mudd, Rich, & Bruich, 2012). Since 2008, the number of small businesses using social media has doubled as their leaders seek to create visibility and awareness, to identify and attract new customers, and to reinforce or change their companies' respective perceived brand images. The Small Business Success Index (SBSI) conducted a survey of 500 small business owners in December 2009 and discussed their findings as follows (Number of small businesses using social media doubled, 2010): 75 percent of the small businesses have a company page on a social networking site; 61 percent use social media for identifying and attracting new customers; 57 percent have built a network through a site like LinkedIn; and 45 percent expected social media to be profitable in the ensuing 12 months (p. 13). Small businesses are using social media, but questions still exist. Leaders of small businesses still have to determine (1) which social medium is best for their organizations and (2) their overall objectives for using the social media. SBSI said that "Social media can be the best friend for small business owners who constantly seek new ways to maximize productivity while keeping costs low" (p.13). According to MerchantCircle, in 2011 small businesses used social media such as Facebook (70.3%), Linkedln (58. 2%), Twitter (39.8%), Bing (33.2%), and MySpace (19.2%) to promote their businesses (Miller, & Washington, 2013). These sites are providing a platform for the companies to reach people faster, build relationships, and connect with potential customers. Neilson reported that, "sixty percent of the people who use three or more digital means of research for product purchases learn about a specific brand or retailer from a social networking site" (McCrea, 2012, p. 74). Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important for small businesses to showcase and secure their brands on these popular social media sites. Consumers (32%) are using online social networks to find about businesses and their products and services. COMPARISON OF SOCIL MEDIA WITH TRADITIONAL MEDIA The increasing popularity of social media is transforming how private organizations respond and interact with society. Using social media, it is now possible for organizations to communicate their ideas and views around the globe quickly and efficiently. Traditional media communicates with their target market and environment indiscriminately whereas social media is fully customizable at the individual level, focusing on the individual needs, and businesses control the information they want to disseminate. This unique ability of social media combined with rapid and timely communication of information, is transforming the way small businesses can interact with the people. Over time, social media has significantly impacted traditional marketing methods. In order to create visibility and achieve the desired results, traditional marketing methods take time and often require a large budget. Social media has helped small organizations to have a choice of using E-marketing methods over traditional methods of marketing. Social media is now at the core of e-marketing compared to the traditional form of marketing, and it helps small organizations to easily access the global market at a minimal cost. …

Reverse Engineering Social Media: Software, Culture, and Political Economy in New Media Capitalism

Abstract: Acknowledgments Introduction: Looking Forward and Backward: Heterogeneous Engineering of Social Media Software 1. The Computerized Socialbot Turing Test: Noopower and the Social Media State(s) of Mind 2. The Archive and the Processor: The Internal Hardware Logic of Social Media 3. Architecture and Implementation: Engineering Real (Software) Abstractions in Social Media 4. Standardizing Social Media: Technical Standards, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and the Rise of Social Media Templates 5. Engineering a Class for Itself: The Case of Wikipedia's Spanish Fork Labor Strike 6. A Manifesto for Socialized Media Notes Bibliography Index