Critical Essay: Analyzing Broadcast and Participatory Culture

This essay critically analyzes the transition from broadcast to participatory culture, examining the arguments of key theorists such as Henry Jenkins, Barry Jones, and Jean Baudrillard. It explores the creation of affinity spaces, the shortening of the participation gap, and ethical considerations within these cultures. The essay discusses how participatory culture, influenced by social media platforms, offers new learning opportunities and fosters peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. It also investigates the economic and social implications of this shift, including the influence of virtual realities and the challenges to cultural and ethical norms. The analysis draws on sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of these cultures on society and education, highlighting both the benefits and the potential drawbacks.

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Participatory culture can be defined as a way of living with relatively minimal barriers to
artistic expression and civic engagement (Storey et al. 2016, p. 197). Thus, it is a culture where
members feel some level of social association with one another. The primary reason why
participatory culture is a high-interest topic is that there are so many various social media
platforms to participate and contribute to. Some of these examples include the creation of short
texts on Twitter, editing articles on Wikipedia, and uploading images on Facebook and
Instagram. However, there are vital arguments from crucial theorists such as Henry Jenkins,
Barry Jones and Jean Baudrillard, who analyze broadcast culture and participatory culture and
their importance. Some of these critical arguments state that the influence creates affinity spaces,
shortens an individual's participation gap, and interferes with ethical considerations. Therefore,
this paper will critically analyze these arguments that surround broadcast culture to today's so-
called 'participatory culture.'
Scholars like Burgess and Green (2018, p 27) have argued that the broadcasting culture
concerning participatory cultures offers ideal learning grounds, i.e., the affinity spaces. Thus,
individuals can learn more by participating actively with popular cultures that are rarely present
in non-media platforms such as books. Affinity spaces offer great opportunities for learning since
they are sustained to similar interests irrespective of their age, race, gender, educational, or class
differences (Gee 2017, p. 29). Hence, individuals in these affinity spaces usually depend on peer-
to-peer learning where every single participant is motivated to gather new knowledge and skills
or refine the existing capabilities. Besides, this allows any individual participant to feel like an
expert while tapping the expertise of others. As an example, the editorial feedback provided by
online fan communities such as Twitter and Facebook helps participants develop skills as writers

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and editors. This is by not only mastering the necessary skills of constructing a sentence in a
narrative nature but also raising their morale to be active readers of the texts that inspire them
(Creeber and Martin 2008, p. 221). Unlike formal learning systems that are usually conservative,
static, and bureaucratic, the informal education through the incorporation of social media is
experimental, innovative, and more provisional in meeting up both the long-term and short-term
needs. Hence, it uplifts one's morale through the available media (Creeber and Martin 2008, p.
231).
Furthermore, Jean Baudrillard, an influential cultural theorist, indicates that individuals
who create and circulate their media are more likely to respect the intellectual properties of
others since they feel the more significant impact in the cultural economy. Besides, people’s lack
of interest in news from social media and their disconnection from politics reflects their outlook
of disempowerment (Pariser 2011, p. 11). Additionally, some scholars such as Lammers,
Magnifico and Curwood (2018) argue that participation in these affinity spaces has economic
implications. They further argue that individuals who spend a lot of time interacting within the
new social media environments will have a more significant experience of exploring new
electronic channels such as virtual realities (Creeber and Martin 2008, p. 243). Virtual realities
enable an individual to manipulate himself through the ability to control the placement and
duration of each play. (Creeber and Martin 2008, p. 248). Also, these individuals will have
greater fluidity while diversifying information landscapes, able to multi-task, and ready to
collaborate with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, participatory culture,
about broadcasting culture, promotes learning through affinity grounds.
On the other hand, Jenkins (2012, p 111) argues the interaction between broadcast culture
and participatory culture shortens individuals’ participation gap. This is because cities and

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significant towns around the globe are installing wireless internet access for their citizens. As an
example, some cities such as Arizona, Philadelphia, Boston, Tempe, and Cambridge are planning
to establish a high-speed wireless connection to increase internet access. In learning institutions,
the participatory culture through broadcast culture creates opportunities where studies and
researches are timely accomplished. Thus, the learning institutions’ inability to close this
participation gap has adverse effects for everyone involved. Also, youths who have minimal
exposure to these kinds of participatory cultures outside the school system find themselves
struggling with their exposed peers. Learners who have developed a comfort with the broadcast
culture usually dominate computer classes pushing aside the less-exposed learners. However,
there are ranges of factors that influence an individual's experience in broadcast culture. A report
carried out by MacArthur foundation argues that some of these social factors include nationality,
point of access, age, class, and gender. Therefore, the increased participation rate helps one to be
adept at creating and identifying new opportunities for leadership and accomplishments, able to
adjust to adverse conditions, embrace new responsibilities and objectives, as well as interacting
with people from various backgrounds.
However, despite the positive arguments and implications that the broadcast culture and
participatory culture create, the association of these cultures has cultural and ethical challenges.
Notably, Barry Jones, a technological theorist, states that the critical aim of broadcast culture is
to motivate the young generation to become more reflective about the ethical choices they make
as communicators and participants. This determines the direct impact of their behaviours on
themselves and others. In as much as the influence of participatory culture shortens the
participation gap (Creeber and Martin 2008, p. 125). According to Jenkins and Deuze (2008, p
112), they argue that three considerations should be emphasized while thinking about

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pedagogical interventions. They emphasize the individuals' skills and experiences required for
one to become a wholly broadcast participant in the political, cultural, and economic realm of
our society, as well as the ability to articulate a proper understanding of how media shapes
worldly perceptions.
In summary, critical
theorists such as Henry Jenkins, Barry Jones and Jean Baudrillard have provided some
useful arguments that surround the broadcast culture about participatory culture. Some of these
arguments, such as increasing the participatory rate, creation of affinity spaces, and interferences
with ethical considerations proofs as well as their importance, have been illustrated. Thus, in as
much as the interaction of both cultures positively affects learners and other individuals, it fails
to consider the cultural and ethical norms that shape and transforms societies into a better world.

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References
Burgess, J. and Green, J., 2018. YouTube: Online video and participatory culture. John Wiley &
Sons, 2018.
Creeber, G. and Martin, R., 2008. Digital Culture: Understanding New Media: Understanding
New Media. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Gee, J.P., 2017. Affinity spaces and 21st century learning. Educational Technology, pp.27-31.
Jenkins, H. (2012). Textual poachers. Television fans and participatory culture. Routledge.
Jenkins, H., & Deuze, M., 2008. Convergence culture.
Lammers, J.C., Magnifico, A.M. and Curwood, J.S., 2018. Literate identities in fan-based online
affinity spaces. Handbook of writing, literacies, and education in digital culture, pp. 174-
184.
Pariser, E., 2011. The filter bubble: What the Internet is hiding from you. Penguin UK.
Storey, M.A., Zagalsky, A., Fihueira Filho, F., Singer, L. and German, D.M., 2016. How social
and communication channels shape and challenge a participatory culture in software
development. IEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 43(2), pp.185-204.