Mass media, the ‘sensational message’, and metamorphic truths
Section snippets
Prelude
Rumors and viruses are close cousins, at least from the point of view of network scientists. Epidemic spreading in networks is an area of study that is increasingly becoming important in the age of exponentially increasing connectivity, and analogies between real-world epidemics and virtual epidemics have been the focus of several studies (e.g., Boman and Johansson, 2007, Gewin, 2004). But whereas epidemics caused by biological (or digital) viruses spread without the conscious effort of
Present day—instant communication and viral media
Towards the middle of April 2009, a seemingly unassuming and a bit overweight middle-aged woman stepped into a stage to perform in one of Britain’s most popular talent shows. Amidst prejudice and eye-rolling cynicism from both audience and judges, she performed so far beyond expectations that most of those who viewed the entire event got a good dose of that old ‘don’t judge the book by its cover’ lesson. The impact was so overwhelming that within days, the event was viewed more than one hundred
Mid 20th century—tabloids and sensational journalism
Sometime during the middle of March 1964, a woman was murdered in New York. Although there must have been dozens of murders in that city on that particular day, the apparent circumstances of her murder sparked a national media frenzy on how people have supposedly become callous and uncaring in a gritty industrialized urban environment – a veritable Gotham of the comic books. These were the days before the internet and instant messaging, yet the ‘news’ spread quickly of how the woman was stabbed
The near future—virtual worlds, virtual truths
A day in early November, 2016 (or maybe 2020, the crystal ball is a bit fuzzy), was a sensational day. The past few months were a frenzy of hyperlocal campaigns. Individuals created their own customized debates, became hyperconnected to every candidate through persistent and pervasive devices, participated through interactive virtual rallies, and made micro-contributions using embedded banking. This day was historic, for while hundreds of millions cast the most participatory vote in American
Wrapping it all up—but who does the wrapping?
More importantly, after everything is wrapped and nicely packaged, who does the billing?
Whenever we use our mobile phones, we marvel at the ubiquity and mobility it represents. The massive infrastructure and technology platform that makes our mobile communication happen remain on a level invisible to most of us. We marvel at how our devices are becoming more user-friendly seemingly by the minute, but we are largely oblivious to the increasing complexity of the computer codes underlying the
We the audience – creation, perception and action
We began by illustrating the power of sensational events in a highly connected environment—even if the ‘hyperconnected era’ has yet to come (Nortel, 2007, p. 1), unstoppable though it may be. As shown by the rapid rise in popularity of Ms. Boyle, in the real world as in the virtual, recognizing viral events early on allow us to piggyback
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