h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So how does h2g2 fit into all this, eh?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/hub/A785324

*tips cap*

Even though it's part of the BBC, I always think that h2g2, community driven as it is, fulfils most of the criteria for alternative media.

Oh, and...

I wonder, would this fall under the category of classical pluralism or elite pluralism?

H2G2 falls under that fairly new medium of interacive internet information. Interactivity brings a whole new side to mass media theories as it allows the audiance to seek out exactly what kind of news they want to know about in an instant and to choose how to continue seeking that information. Even though H2G2 isn't neccessarily a news medium, like say cnn.com, it is a source of information.

I would say that h2g2 could be analysed to fit most of the models. Being community-based, participating in h2g2 has a lot to do with building personal identity (or, an usual feature of the medium, multiple identities). A lot of the site features role playing (muses, keepers, clubs, cafes, etc) which let us explore different areas of our personalities.

You could also say h2g2 acts as a bit of a diversion (from the dreaded 'RL') - something removed from our everyday existances.

There's also personal relationships - h2g2 is all about making friends (or even future-spouses), and so the site fulfils out desire to build personal connections.

The surveillance model doesn't quite fit so strongly. However, many of the edited entries are advising ways in which you can navigate the world with more confidance and security.

- Hope you all liked the entry!

Frankie

Great entry.

Another thing to think about with uses and gratification when it comes to internet use is the anonymity is allows the audiance. What they seek for gratification at home around a family or in public (at work, etc...) where their identity is out in the open may be very different from what they seek as an anonymnous audiance member on the internet.