Transmedia and Sports

When I think of transmedia, my immediate thought goes to modern day sports, specifically basketball. Gone are the days of having to sit in front of a television to know what happens during a game; now, there are apps and tons of mediums that keep you connected wirelessly. For example, basketball teams tweet live on twitter and google can even give you a play by play of what exactly is going on during the game. Transmedia is storytelling across multiple platforms. Sports and basketball, specifically can be told on multiple platforms, including traditional television, applications, and website that allow viewers to view sports from multiple mediums. Not only does this offer an element of story-telling but it also relies on the response and participation of the viewers or users.

There is a distinct difference between transmedia and multimedia, multimedia implies a single piece of content being used for multiple mediums of expression and or communication.  For example, an artist can express him or herself in many ways, though painting, photography, music, and many other mediums. Transmedia has an element of story-telling on multiple platforms. Not only are twitter and other applications used for engagement and viewership, but YouTube can also be used to view highlights and keep the story going. Transmedia not only allows stories to be told though many different mediums, but also allows viewers and consumers to engage in the content produced.

Harry Potter is the wonderful example Jenkins uses when explaining transmedia, Harry Potter is a perfect example of transmedia. While Harry Potter started off as a simple book series, because of its fans and supporters it has evolved into much more. It is important to not the interaction of people is what drives transmedia. Harry Potter now has books, games, and even an interactive theme park that is based on the books. This is an amazing example of transmedia.

The media played a very crucial role in the 2016 presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Some argue the media directly impacted the overall outcome of the election. Much of the media coverage was spent on attacking the candidates as individuals rather than focusing on their policies and what was truly important. The way each candidate used social media and the feedback they each got was very interesting. Twitter went wild the night of the election, it’s a new age.

There are many forms of media that come into question when discussing the presidential election, from the media coverage to the way each candidate used media to their benefit.  Social media was a huge platform that each candidate used themselves and even received feedback though. During election season the candidates were very active on many social media outlets like snapchat, twitter and Facebook. “Through 3 am ET when Trump claimed victory, more than 75 million election-related tweets coursed through Twitter, smashing the record set on Election Day in 2012 of more than 31 million tweets total.” Clearly many people used twitter as an outlet to speak on election day.[1]

The media coverage during the election was also quite important. The media arguably had a very large impact on the results of the election. Many voters are displeased with the media’s coverage of the 2016 election. “Inaccuracies, melodrama, bias, outrage: Journalists showcased plenty during election night news coverage which proved to be intense — and endless. The phenomenon has taken a toll. The weary nation appears to be peeved at the press, and that includes Democrats and Republicans alike who are literally turning away.”[2]

The 2016 election was defiantly split into multiple mediums from twitter to snapchat to Facebook. Nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both used social media to communicate with their followers. The media spent a lot of time covering each candidate for the wrong reasons and this could have ultimately lead to the outcome of the election. The media in all its forms is very influential on the public and can ultimately subconsciously change the minds of some.

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[2] "Main Menu." The Hill News. Accessed November 17, 2016. http://thehillnews.net/news/AMERICA’S-BIG-MEDIA-ELECTS-A-PRESIDENT-.

[1] Guynn, Jessica. "Forget Trump: Election's Big Winner Was Twitter." USA Today. 2016. Accessed November 17, 2016. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/11/08/election-winner-twitter/93509896/.