Abstract
In Collaborative Media: Production, Consumption and Design Interventions, Jonas Löwgren and Bo Reimer seek to expose the inadequacy of terms such as ‘digital media’, ‘social media’ and ‘new media’. These terms do not, according to the authors, capture the qualities or characteristics of everyday media practices. This is so particularly given the recent technological developments in new media that have allowed users not only to consume but also to produce and even design media. To denote a new cultural form that has emerged, they propose instead the term ‘collaborative media’, a term they believe better reflects the action-oriented component of media and, perhaps more precisely, the recent practices made possible by new media – that is, ‘collaborative, mediated practice’ (p. 15).
The authors’ proposal draws on several schools of thought. These include cultural theory, which is mined specifically for conceptions of mass communication processes (those of Stuart Hall), and actor–network theory, which is brought in for its proposal to consider both humans and nonhumans in the analysis of social action (referencing the work of Bruno Latour). The book, organised in three parts, is meant to achieve two main goals: to outline the qualities and characteristics of collaborative media as a new cultural form and to act as ‘a call to action’ proposing further trans-disciplinary research on ‘collaborative media’, in a way that combines both analytic and design-oriented modes of working.
In Part I, Starting Points, the authors begin by describing traits of media and outline their conceptual approach towards explaining media’s collaborative aspects. Chapter 1 discusses ‘everyday media practices’ through accounts of parody, machinima, mashup and DIY to illustrate what they think is the most salient trait of digital media: ‘the grassroots and emergent nature of communicative practices, cutting across established media structures of society and its institutions’ (p. 10). Chapter 2 then re-conceptualises what is meant by digital media practices, suggesting that the term ‘collaborative media’ has become the more apt description since it encapsulates the action-oriented component of media (i.e. the kinds of practices made possible) rather than focusing merely on the technology itself. They state that the precondition for new everyday-life practices is the development of new media technologies, while admitting that collaboration does not necessarily flow from all this development. They further discuss the recent changes in media production and consumption – specifically the rise of consumers as producers and designers of media. Given this, the authors propose a model for collaborative media practice based on the interrelationship between three ‘moments’ (using Hall’s term) and three kinds of practice – design, production and consumption – linking the three together without making them exclusive. The authors also look to glean from actor–network theory, which considers humans and nonhumans as actors involved in social action that both ‘make a difference’.
In Part II, Interventions, the authors explore cases that they see as representative of collaborative media practices and that combine analysis and interventionist research, organising accounts under three categories: society, institutions and tribes. Chapter 4 outlines cases within ‘society’, which have in common ‘grassroots change and emancipation’ that allow for ‘new ways to approach societal development and governance’ (p. 45). The cases outlined include a cross-media platform for young teenagers concerned with social issues and action (Avatopia), a live-video streaming service through mobile phones and networks used to broadcast amateur audiovisual recording (Bambuser) and a reconfigured Parascope used for inclusive neighbourhood urban planning (Parapolis). Chapter 5 discusses four ‘institutions’ that look at how change can be explored by researchers and organisations in a move away from traditional mass media structures towards more collaborative constructs. The cases discussed include a public service television company exploring the personalisation of programming (MyNewsMyWay), a company looking to integrate ‘collaborative’ practices and media in the processes of technical information writing and dissemination (Substrate), a medical care institution that addresses knowledge management through collaborative media (Kliv) and a ‘less conventional media case’ where grassroots emancipation techniques are given means, such as books and art exhibits, to exercise ‘moderate subversion’ within the fashion industry (Hacktivisim). In Chapter 6, the authors outline cases in ‘tribal’ settings or social structures displaying a ‘high degree of communality’. The cases explore the future possibilities of convergence between broadcast TV and online audiovisual material (OurNewsOurWays), an open-source platform as infrastructure for collaborative media (Arduino) and a documentary cutting across media (Malmö City Symphony).
Part III, Insights and Conclusions, is exactly about the authors’ reflections on the insights gained from outlining the above cases and their conclusions related to the knowledge contributions their work entails. In Chapter 7, the authors discuss the possible uses of collaborative media and sketch a perspective on collaborative media practices today, touching on power, action and creativity. Chapter 8 provides the authors’ review on their use of and advocacy for a ‘design-oriented mode of knowledge production, integrating analysis and intervention in collaborative media research’ (p. 161). By detailing the ways in which the knowledge contributions made in the book are contestable, defensible and substantive, they seek to demonstrate that the mode of research presented is fit for consideration across multiple disciplines (e.g. in the humanities and social sciences).
The authors’ desire for change in terms of how media are understood and researched, as well as their zeal for design-oriented interventions, culminates in a final rallying call: ‘Let the interventionist turn begin’ (p. 169). In focusing on building a case for considering ‘collaborative media’ as a new cultural form and advocating design-oriented interventionist approaches, Collaborative Media results in a resource most relevant for scholars interested in these particular areas. The book, however, does also entice those studying media across (other) disciplines (including this cross-disciplinary reviewer from sociology) to further consider media’s collaborative qualities and the possibilities of interventionist approaches.