For several years now, I've had the dubious distinction of trying to explain to people what it means to be a media psychologist. The trick is to get the definition out before their eyes roll back in their heads. A larger problem, though, is that my definition of media psychology fits better with the term 'transmedia multipsychology,' which admittedly sounds a little silly. Why does it matter how we define things? Because definitions create the field of play Media psychology has to address the convergence of technologies, the messaging process, the blurring of boundaries between roles of producers, consumers, and distributors. All of these create psychological shifts at individual, organizational, and national levels in a world because our basic assumptions about communication and interaction with everything is continually changing. Definitions, like cognitive maps, define our view and in doing so, limit our vision for innovative problem-solving and inquiry unless we take steps … [Read more...]
The Case of the Missing Cobra: Making News Compelling Through Story
The Bronx Zoo misplaced an Egyptian cobra. (Don’t you hate it when that happens?) I read about it in the LA Times. This isn’t the first errant zoo animal, so why would a west coast paper carry news about an east coast zoo faux pas? Because it became a story. Shortly after the snake disappeared, a mysterious Twitterer posing as the snake @BronxZoosCobra began journaling his adventure through the big apple. (You can follow on your own Twitter account or get an RSS feed.) It’s a perfect example of the power of story in a participatory culture. First, there is the iconic meta-story of escaping to freedom against tremendous odds. The snake's story is right up there in a long list of examples, such as Steve McQueen and the Great Escape or Michael York and Logan’s Run. The Twitter stream allowed people to follow along with the snake through New York City—in effect, to experience it along side the snake and to live the snake's narrative. The very humorous snake … [Read more...]
