Books and Book Chapters by Renira Gambarato
This chapter discusses the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) and t... more This chapter discusses the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) and transmedia storytelling in Alexey Navalny's political campaign during the 2013 Moscow mayoral election in Russia. The aim is to analyze how the use of ICT across multiple media platforms contributed to the development of democratic practices in the Russian political landscape. Navalny's westernized, bottom-up political campaign was innovative in the country because it involved novel manners of engaging the public via online fundraising, door-to-door canvassing, engagement of volunteers, digital projects, and meetings with voters, for instance, which were not common practices at the time in Russia. Although Navalny lost the election, his candidacy represented advancement in terms of the use of ICT and transmedia storytelling to promote democratic development in the midst of autocratic Russia. If the democratic progress in the country will be maintained, it remains to be seen. The methodological approach is based on the transmedia analytical model developed by Gambarato (2013).
The Sochi Project is a transmedia experience built by Dutch documentary photographer Rob Hornstra... more The Sochi Project is a transmedia experience built by Dutch documentary photographer Rob Hornstra and journalist/filmmaker Arnold van Bruggen to depict the hidden story behind the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The paper aims at discussing the premises of slow journalism and transmedia space as the theoretical background in which the transmedia analysis of the project is founded. The methodological approach to explore the case of The Sochi Project, in which the emphasis of this paper relies on, is the author’s original transmedia project design analytical model aimed at outlining essential features of the process of development of transmedia projects. The Sochi Project explores online as well as offline extensions in order to embrace the diverse facets of the storyworld and the audience.
This chapter discusses the participatory flair of transmedia journalism within the concreteness o... more This chapter discusses the participatory flair of transmedia journalism within the concreteness of urban spaces by examining The Great British Property Scandal (TGBPS), a transmedia experience designed to inform and engage the public and offer alternative solutions to the long-standing housing crisis in the United Kingdom. The theoretical framework is centered on transmedia storytelling applied to journalism in the scope of urban spaces and participatory culture. The methodological approach of the case study is based on Gambarato's (2013) transmedia analytical model and applied to TGBPS to depict how transmedia strategies within urban spaces collaborated to influence social change. TGBPS is a pertinent example of transmedia journalism within the liquid society, integrating mobile technologies into daily processes with the potential for enhanced localness, customization, and mobility within the urban fabric.
The news coverage of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics in Brazil encompassed multiple media platforms ... more The news coverage of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics in Brazil encompassed multiple media platforms and the flow of information in the intersection between mass media (especially television) and social media (especially Snapchat and Instagram). The 2016 Rio Olympics was the Games of Snapchat stories and filters along with Instagram stories for news coverage. This chapter aims to investigate how trans-media features are structured and implemented in the news coverage of the 2016 Olympics by the official Brazilian broadcaster, Globo Network. The theoretical framework focuses on transmedia journalism of planned events, and the methodology is based on the analytical model for transmedia news coverage of planned events developed by Gambarato and Tárcia (2017). The research findings indicate that the coverage presented systematic content expanded throughout various media platforms (a core characteristic of transmedia journalism) but involved limited mechanisms of audience engagement, particularly in terms of citizen participation.
Around the globe, people now engage with media content across multiple platforms, following stori... more Around the globe, people now engage with media content across multiple platforms, following stories, characters, worlds, brands and other information across a spectrum of media channels. This transmedia phenomenon has led to the burgeoning of transmedia studies in media, cultural studies and communication departments across the academy. The Routledge Companion to Transmedia Studies is the definitive volume for scholars and students interested in comprehending all the various aspects of transmediality. This collection, which gathers together original articles by a global roster of contributors from a variety of disciplines, sets out to contextualize, problematize and scrutinize the current status and future directions of transmediality, exploring the industries, arts, practices, cultures, and methodologies of studying convergent media across multiple platforms.
This chapter discusses the impact of transmedia campaigns aimed at achieving a certain level of g... more This chapter discusses the impact of transmedia campaigns aimed at achieving a certain level of government policy change. Transmedia campaigns comprise a series of coordinated activities and organized efforts designed to achieve a social, political, or commercial goal by means of multiple media platforms. The Great British Property Scandal and Food, Inc. transmedia campaigns are considered to introduce the argument that this kind of multiplatform campaigning can actually produce concrete results in the political sphere. Moreover, this chapter focuses on the in-depth analysis of the transmedia strategies of the Fish Fight campaign to demonstrate how exactly transmedia strategies collaborate to influence policy change. The research findings point to the effective role of transmedia storytelling strategies in raising awareness in the political sphere through public participation in supporting relevant issues, influencing policy change.
Transmedia storytelling denotes a process in which instalments of a story are spread across multi... more Transmedia storytelling denotes a process in which instalments of a story are spread across multiple media platforms to create an integrated experience that promotes audience engagement. Gambarato and Nanì discuss the specific ethical issues of transmedia storytelling through the conceptualization of ethics developed by Charles Sanders Peirce. Peirce proposes an immediate connection among aesthetics, ethics and logic, which enriches and enlarges the approach to ethical issues in the realm of transmediality. This chapter concludes with two case studies—the transmedia projects The Truth about Marika from Sweden and Final Punishment from Brazil, analysing to what extent the two cases comply with Peircean ethics.
Call for Chapters
Proposals Submission Deadline: December 30, 2016
Full Chapters Due: April 30, 2... more Call for Chapters
Proposals Submission Deadline: December 30, 2016
Full Chapters Due: April 30, 2017
Since the advent of digitization, the conceptual confusion surrounding the semantic galaxy that comprises the media and journalism universes has increased. Multimedia, cross-media, intermedia, and transmedia storytelling are some of the terms aggregated in the media convergence process involving news in liquid, fluid, participatory environments (Bauman, 2000). Transmedia storytelling is one of the newest terms. It was coined by Henry Jenkins (2003) in the fictional realm and refers to the expansion of content across multiple media platforms, encouraging audience engagement in the story. Ever since, transmedia storytelling has been the focus of diverse studies, including its application to journalism (Alzamora &Tárcia, 2012; Canavilhas, 2014; Dominguez, 2012; Gambarato & Tárcia, 2016; Moloney, 2011; Renó, 2014). In the journalism realm, audience can add information to the news content, edit it, and/or share it in online social networks, in addition to eventually collaborating directly in the coverage. Although various media are present in journalism and journalists employ multiple practices to cover multifaceted media events, not every news production is necessarily transmediatic; thus far, the majority of the content spread across different media platforms is simply repurposed. We consider that transmedia journalism, as well as other applications of transmedia storytelling in fictional and nonfictional realms, is characterized by the involvement of (a) multiple media platforms, (b) content expansion, and (c) audience engagement (Gambarato &Tárcia, 2016). Transmedia journalism can take advantage of different media platforms such as television, radio, print media, and, above all, the Internet and mobile media to tell deeper stories. Content expansion, as opposed to the repetition of the same message across multiple platforms, is the essence of transmedia storytelling and, therefore, should be the focal point of transmedia journalism as well.
Proposals Submission Deadline: December 30, 2016
Full Chapters Due: April 30, 2017
Since the advent of digitization, the conceptual confusion surrounding the semantic galaxy that comprises the media and journalism universes has increased. Multimedia, cross-media, intermedia, and transmedia storytelling are some of the terms aggregated in the media convergence process involving news in liquid, fluid, participatory environments (Bauman, 2000). Transmedia storytelling is one of the newest terms. It was coined by Henry Jenkins (2003) in the fictional realm and refers to the expansion of content across multiple media platforms, encouraging audience engagement in the story. Ever since, transmedia storytelling has been the focus of diverse studies, including its application to journalism (Alzamora &Tárcia, 2012; Canavilhas, 2014; Dominguez, 2012; Gambarato & Tárcia, 2016; Moloney, 2011; Renó, 2014). In the journalism realm, audience can add information to the news content, edit it, and/or share it in online social networks, in addition to eventually collaborating directly in the coverage. Although various media are present in journalism and journalists employ multiple practices to cover multifaceted media events, not every news production is necessarily transmediatic; thus far, the majority of the content spread across different media platforms is simply repurposed. We consider that transmedia journalism, as well as other applications of transmedia storytelling in fictional and nonfictional realms, is characterized by the involvement of (a) multiple media platforms, (b) content expansion, and (c) audience engagement (Gambarato &Tárcia, 2016). Transmedia journalism can take advantage of different media platforms such as television, radio, print media, and, above all, the Internet and mobile media to tell deeper stories. Content expansion, as opposed to the repetition of the same message across multiple platforms, is the essence of transmedia storytelling and, therefore, should be the focal point of transmedia journalism as well.
This chapter analyzes the transmedia strategies of opposition candidate Alexey Navalny’s campaign... more This chapter analyzes the transmedia strategies of opposition candidate Alexey Navalny’s campaign during the 2013 Moscow mayoral election. The goal is to highlight how the use of information and communication technology contributed to the development of democratic practices in Russia. His westernized, grassroots political campaign was a novelty in the country, involving online fundraising, door-to-door canvassing, engagement of volunteers, digital projects, and meetings with voters, for instance. The argument is that, although Navalny lost the election, his candidacy represented advancement in terms of both the use of new media and the promotion of democratic development in the midst of autocratic Russia. If the progress will be maintained, it remains to be seen. The theoretical framework includes the reality of the Russian political scenario and the conceptualization of transmedia storytelling strategies in the context of participatory politics. The methodological approach is based on the transmedia analytical model by Gambarato (2013).
Kulturdialoge Brasilien – Deutschland: Design, Film, Literatur, Medien
Papers by Renira Gambarato
Memory Studies, 2021
The aim of this study is to elucidate the mnemonic conditions established in the ever-increasing ... more The aim of this study is to elucidate the mnemonic conditions established in the ever-increasing production and use of cultural memory in streaming media environments. To gain in-depth insight into how memories are selected for remembering and sorted for forgetting, the focus is the HBO Chernobyl mini-series. The case study of HBO's Chernobyl is selected to qualitatively explore cultural memories across the series throughout the complexities of globally connected technologies and markets, where different cultures and languages, as well as media framings, come into play. Theoretically, the article is based on conceptualization of cultural memory studies and streaming media platforms. Methodologically, the case study is supported by the multidimensional analytical lens developed by Erll, adopted to elucidate how the cultural memory of Chernobyl is activated, mediated, and shaped by the streaming series. These three dimensions involve the intra-medial aspects of how memory is expressed within the representation itself, the inter-medial relations which designate the interplay with previous representations of the same historical event, and the pluri-medial contexts in which novels and films appear and exert their influence on cultural memory. In the threedimension analysis, we address the construction and circulation of cultural memory from the production to the reception of the mini-series in multiple media environments and across borders, depicting the social, cultural, and political impact of streaming media productions.
International Journal of Communication, 2019
This article discusses, from a Peircean semiotic perspective, (1) the logic of algorithms employe... more This article discusses, from a Peircean semiotic perspective, (1) the logic of algorithms employed by Facebook to foster audience engagement as it relates to the spreadability of fake news in the context of transmedia journalism, and (2) how our own methods of fixation of beliefs influence this process. The methodological approach encompasses a qualitative conceptual study of Peircean semiotics, focusing on concepts such as truth, reality, representation, fixation of beliefs, and collateral experiences, as a proposition to investigate the relationship between algorithms, fake news, and transmedia journalism. The research findings point to the fact that social media networks such as Facebook have their share of responsibility in the current fake news furor, but audiences are also involved in this issue as their behavior and beliefs play an important role in feeding Facebook’s algorithms.
Acta Scientiarum, 2018
In this article, we analyze a delimited corpus of Internet memes showcasing Brazilian President M... more In this article, we analyze a delimited corpus of Internet memes showcasing Brazilian President Michel Temer. The theoretical framework is based on literacy studies, digital information and communication technology usage in research and teaching, and Bakhtin studies. The methodological design follows the approach of Gambarato and Komesu (2018), who selected and analyzed data sets of memes based on classification tools developed by Dawkins (1976) and Knobel and Lankshear (2007). The main goal is to discuss the relevance of using 'Internet memes', while studying the concept of 'text'. Therefore, regarding the mobilization of digital information and communication technologies, we consider how the appropriation of someone else's word takes place through verbal and visual-verbal elements potentially available to subjects on the Web. We aim to discuss effects of meaning deriving from the way these texts are disseminated across spreadable media, taking into account power and resistance relations between subjects of/in language.
What Are You Laughing At? Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s Internet Memes across Spreadable Media Contexts
Journal of Creative Communications, 2018
This article analyses a delimited corpus of Internet memes showcasing former Brazilian President ... more This article analyses a delimited corpus of Internet memes showcasing former Brazilian President Dilma
Rousseff. The theoretical framework is based on studies of memes and Internet memes as phenomena
inserted in the online dimension of transmission and cultural production, and principles of the General
Theory of Systems. The methodological approach is based on the classification tools developed by
Dawkins (1976) to describe memes that spread widely across the digital space (fidelity, fecundity and
longevity) and the patterns developed by Knobel and Lankshear (2007) as the main characteristics that
contribute to an Internet meme’s spreadability (humour, intertextuality and juxtaposition). These classification
tools are applied aiming to select and analyse Internet memes that feature the Brazilian president.
The goal of the article is to extract from both classification systems relevant tools for guiding understanding
about how certain specific sets of memes connected to Dilma Rousseff became memorable
and spreadable within the Brazilian media landscape. The result findings show that the categories and
patterns applied to the analysis are not isolated and are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they are
frequently juxtaposed, which denotes their integrated nature and coherent disposition, corroborating to
clarify and identify how certain specific sets of memes spread within the media.
Rousseff. The theoretical framework is based on studies of memes and Internet memes as phenomena
inserted in the online dimension of transmission and cultural production, and principles of the General
Theory of Systems. The methodological approach is based on the classification tools developed by
Dawkins (1976) to describe memes that spread widely across the digital space (fidelity, fecundity and
longevity) and the patterns developed by Knobel and Lankshear (2007) as the main characteristics that
contribute to an Internet meme’s spreadability (humour, intertextuality and juxtaposition). These classification
tools are applied aiming to select and analyse Internet memes that feature the Brazilian president.
The goal of the article is to extract from both classification systems relevant tools for guiding understanding
about how certain specific sets of memes connected to Dilma Rousseff became memorable
and spreadable within the Brazilian media landscape. The result findings show that the categories and
patterns applied to the analysis are not isolated and are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they are
frequently juxtaposed, which denotes their integrated nature and coherent disposition, corroborating to
clarify and identify how certain specific sets of memes spread within the media.
Transmedia Strategies in Journalism: An analytical model for the news coverage of planned events
Journalism Studies , 2017
Abstract
The article discusses the meanings of transmedia journalism, which involves the expansio... more Abstract
The article discusses the meanings of transmedia journalism, which involves the expansion, not the repetition, of news content and then presents the development of a new analytical model that focuses on the coverage of planned events in news media. Planned events are temporal occurrences that are normally well schematized and publicized in advance. The proposed model addresses the fundamental features involved in transmedia strategies for media coverage to contribute to scholars’ analytic needs and to guide journalists in developing transmedia strategies in the context of the news coverage of planned events. Multiplatform news media production is already a reality that, although probably more modest than comprehensive, will inevitably grow and improve.
KEYWORDS: analytical model, digital journalism, news coverage, planned events, transmedia journalism, transmedia strategies
The article discusses the meanings of transmedia journalism, which involves the expansion, not the repetition, of news content and then presents the development of a new analytical model that focuses on the coverage of planned events in news media. Planned events are temporal occurrences that are normally well schematized and publicized in advance. The proposed model addresses the fundamental features involved in transmedia strategies for media coverage to contribute to scholars’ analytic needs and to guide journalists in developing transmedia strategies in the context of the news coverage of planned events. Multiplatform news media production is already a reality that, although probably more modest than comprehensive, will inevitably grow and improve.
KEYWORDS: analytical model, digital journalism, news coverage, planned events, transmedia journalism, transmedia strategies
2014 FIFA World Cup on the Brazilian Globo Network: A transmedia dynamics?
Global Media and Communication, 2017
Abstract
The news coverage of the 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) W... more Abstract
The news coverage of the 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Brazil encompassed various media platforms and the flow of information in the intersection between mass media (especially television) and social media (especially Twitter and Facebook). The research question that motivates this article is, ‘To what extent can Globo Network’s Brazilian coverage be characterized as a transmedia experience?’ The theoretical framework focuses on transmedia journalism, and the methodology is based on the analytical model regarding transmedia news coverage of planned events developed by Gambarato and Tárcia. The research findings demonstrate that the Globo Network coverage was modestly transmediatic, presenting mechanisms of audience engagement and limited expansion of content within technological advances. However, there was no solid transmedia plan aiming at articulating transmediality to build a universe designed within various integrated media platforms.
Keywords 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazilian news coverage, Globo Network, transmedia analysis, transmedia journalism, transmedia news coverage
The news coverage of the 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Brazil encompassed various media platforms and the flow of information in the intersection between mass media (especially television) and social media (especially Twitter and Facebook). The research question that motivates this article is, ‘To what extent can Globo Network’s Brazilian coverage be characterized as a transmedia experience?’ The theoretical framework focuses on transmedia journalism, and the methodology is based on the analytical model regarding transmedia news coverage of planned events developed by Gambarato and Tárcia. The research findings demonstrate that the Globo Network coverage was modestly transmediatic, presenting mechanisms of audience engagement and limited expansion of content within technological advances. However, there was no solid transmedia plan aiming at articulating transmediality to build a universe designed within various integrated media platforms.
Keywords 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazilian news coverage, Globo Network, transmedia analysis, transmedia journalism, transmedia news coverage