English

“Participation and Play in Converging Media” is a research project based at the Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo. The projects is financed by the Norwegian Research Council for the years 2004-2007.

The project investigates non-professional participation in the media, with an emphasis on how participation is facilitated and exploited by the media institutions that offer participation as part of its output. The project pays special attention to the ways that current technological developments facilitate extended audience participation and use through e-mails, mobile phones and other interactive features. Play and gaming is included as a particularly important mode of participation in the current media. A key observation for the project is that an increased importance of audiences and users is not so much a case of institutions losing power, more a case of institutions developing new ways to shape and direct interactive and user-centered output.

Empirically, the sub-projects span a wide range of digital media (Web applications, online games) and multi-platform formats combining broadcast and digital technologies (particularly digital and SMS-based TV). Collaborative projects include work on scenario building in media institutions and a representative survey of audience participation and media elites’ strategies/conception of participation.

The project is headed by Professors Espen Ytreberg and Trine Syversen, and includes researchers Gunn Enli, Anders Fagerjord, Faltin Karlsen, Arnt Maasø, Vilde Schanke Sundet and Tanja Storsul. It combines researcher expertise on broadcasting institution and new digital media. In addition to individual sub-projects the researchers join together for a number of co-publications throughout the project period.

Publications

Sundet, Vilde Schanke and Tanja Storsul (2006): ‘Digital Terrestrial Television in Scandinavia’ In Colombo, Fausto og Nicoletta vittadini (eds.) Digitising TV. Theoretical Issues and comparative studies across Euope, Milano: vita e PensieroSyvertsen, Trine and Espen Ytreberg (2006): ‘Participation and play in converging media: institutional perspectives and text-user relations’ Nordicom Review 27(1):107-110 Syvertsen, Trine (2005): ‘Citoyens, consommateurs ou joueurs?’ Média Morphoses: 185-194 Fagerjord, Anders (2005): ‘Prescripts: Authoring With Templates’. Kairos 10.1. Enli, Gunn (2005): ‘Fenomenet SMS-TV. Institusjonelle strategier og semiprivat interaksjon’. Norsk Medietidsskrift Nr. 2, 2005. Fagerjord, Anders, Arnt Maasø, Trine Syvertsen, Tanja Storsul and Faltin Karlsen (2005): ‘Fortellinger om framtiden - vennlige visjoner for digital-tv’. Norsk Medietidsskrift Nr. 2, 2005. Ytreberg, Espen (2004): Formatting participation within broadcast media production Media, Culture & Society Vol. 26 (5), 2004 Karlsen, Faltin (2004): Media Complexity and diversity of use: Thoughts on a Taxonmy of Users of Multiuser Online Games Article presented at the “Other Players”-conference. Full text available online Syvertsen, Trine (2004): ‘Citizens, audiences, customers and players. A conceptual discussion of the relationship between broadcasters and their publics’ European Journal of Cultural studies. London, Thousand Oaks CA and New Delhi: Sage Publications. Vol. 7:3; 363-380. Skogerbø, Eli and Trine Syvertsen (2004): ‘Towards an information Society? The value of media production and consumption’ Javnost: The public. Vol. 11:1; 45-60.

Forthcoming publications

Beyer, Yngvil, Gunn Enli, Arnt Maasø and Espen Ytreberg: Small talk makes a big difference. Recent developments in interactive SMS-based television. Will appear in Television and New Media Minna, Aslama and Trine Syvertsen: ‘Public service broadcasting and new technologies: Marginalization or Re-monopolization?’ Will be published in the ESF-programme bookseries “Changing Media, Changing Europe”. The book will be called ‘Media between commerce and culture’. Storsul, Tanja: Review of Galperins book on digital TV. Will be published in European Journal of Communication in 2005. Storsul, Tanja: Keyword-article on eDemocracy. Will be published in “Contested Concepts”, Intellect, 2005. Storsul, Tanja and Vilde Schanke Sundet: ‘Digital terrestrial television in Scandinavia’ Anthology edited by Fausto Colombo.