Blog #2: Legacy Media vs. Digital Media (2024)

The platform I will look into is the show, Family Guy. Family Guy is a sitcom TV series created in 1999. Family Guy began as a traditional, drawn animation and modernized to digital animation. Family Guy is a mix between legacy and digital media. Family Guy is a combination of finite and limited content. While the show has been running for 22 seasons and has been renewed for another two years, there is a lot of content created. This being said, an episode lasts for 20 minutes, so the space in each episode is limited. The audience of Family Guy is specific. According to the age rating, it is targeted towards anyone 14 years or older. Specifically, Family Guy is targeted toward 18-30 year old males. In 2006, Family Guy broadened their target audience by creating a Family Guy themed video game. Recently, Family Guy and Fortnite created a partnership to have a Family Guy themed season in Fortnite.
Family Guy is a digital production. It is an agnostic or flexible platform. It can be watched across multiple different platforms such as a TV, iPhone, iPad, and laptop. Originally, Family Guy was non-interactive media. You could only view live episodes, but that changed over time. With the addition of CDS, streaming platforms, and online streaming, episodes of Family Guy can be viewed at any time, on any platform, anywhere, and how many times you want. Family Guy is still the same show from 1999, but it modernized and updated to stay popular throughout the 22 seasons.

One of my favorite shows on Netflix right now is Suits. This show has so much going on in each episode, and when it is analyzed, it is pretty impressive how it uses both kinds of media. First off, it incorporates a sense of legacy media within the show. Legacy media is known as old media; it is the media before the World Wide Web. Some examples of Legacy media are books, TVs, and magazines. One of the ways that the show incorporates legacy media is that they have an entire library to use for research. These books contain so much old information, but there is only so much information in them, which is why they have so many. Another form of legacy media of the show as a whole is that it has a sense of fixity to it; once the episode is published, it can not be changed, and it is out for the viewers to watch.
Digital Media is the media that we all know and use today. It comprises the World Wide Web and many media outlets like Instagram and Google. It also has infinite content. The show suits incorporates digital media by using cross-platform information from many law firms within New York. And not only the law firms it uses tons of national databases to search for information on people. One way the show as a whole uses digital media is that it is Individualized. It was created for Netflix users to watch the show only. That means that people with subscriptions to Netflix can show, but those without cannot.

The media outlet that I am analyzing is the common sports TV show, Sportscenter. Sportscenter has been on the air since 1979 and offers a daily recap of all major sports games and news. It airs on national television every day from 7am-10am with a brand-new show each day. In the past, Sportscenter produced finite content through its national broadcasts, but with the creation of Instagram they now post infinite content. On their Instagram page, they have over 50,000 posts worth of sports coverage and news from the past 10+ years.
Similar to the progression in the content they produced, their intended audience has also become more specific over the years. Their tv show has always been geared towards sports fans, but now with Instagram they can target individuals as an audience. Using Instagram’s algorithm, their content will show up on a sports fans’ Instagram feed which can catch their interest and spread their media. This new form of Sportscenter media has also made their media interactive. Before, you could only watch their show while sitting on your couch at home as a spectator of their discussions. Now, anybody who sees one of their posts has the ability to interact with the content they share through the comment section. This has led to individuals being able to participate in the very discussions they used to watch on TV.
In addition, new forms of digital media have allowed Sportscenter to make their content platform flexible. Rather than having to be at my own house to watch their show on my TV, I can stream Sportscenter from my phone whenever I’m not home. I now have access to Sportscenter through my TV, iPhone, and any computer that is accessible to me.

The media outlet I am analyzing is the famous TV show, The Simpsons. The Simpsons has been on air for over 30 years and started as a drawn animation but has changed to the digital age over the years. I would say The Simpsons is a combination of finite and infinite data. The show has been going on for so many years, there is an absurd amount of content out there containing it. Although that is true, each episode creates a finite amount of content within a short 20–25-minute window. There are many websites out there explaining the show, its characters, and its themes which makes it somewhat infinite data.
The audience The Simpsons aims for is more specific, targeting kids 14 and up due to its semi adult themes at points during the show. The Simpsons is a digital production and is a flexible program as you can watch it and stream it on many platforms. You can watch this show on Iphone, Ipad, tablet, computer, and more making it platform flexible.
The Simpsons has changed from non interactive to interactive over time. Originally, the show was only to be watched live, but now you can stream it on many platforms and forms of digital media. Even though the show has not changed over time, it has had to adapt over time just due to the digital age, which it has, making it a little different than when it was first created.

I will be analyzing the TV show, The Flash has been airing for around 9 years, and is a product of CGI as well as some animation added onto the acting of physical people. On top of this, it is adapted from the comics (legacy media), but it strays from some of the concepts with an added twist (digital media). It uses a combination of pre-existing and new age creativity. Each episode is around 23-25 minutes, meaning there is a finite amount of content as well within the 9 seasons it has aired over.
The Flash is an example of finite content due to the extent of the universe it is set in. Sure they could always make up another universe or another timeline, it certainly feels like they’re going to, but there is only so much you can make out of the story. The target audience for The Flash mainly consists of DC fanatics, as well as young adults or older. There are some sly remarks, but the concept The Flash throws out is mostly understood by people above the age of 15-16.
Due to the intensity of trying to keep up with the show, the audience can be pretty limited. As for where you can watch this show, it streams on a lot of platforms. Laptops, iPads, iPhones, and more are some examples of devices you can use to watch this show making this show pretty flexible in terms of where you would want to watch it. When it used to be in comic form, people would have to wait for updates and make sure to get the physical copy from a location that sold it. Now, we can be updated on the show from almost anywhere that has internet access and a device to be used.

The Joe Rogan Experience is a comedy podcast hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. Launched on December 24, 2009 on YouTube. It didn’t take Rogan long to get millions of people to watch his podcast. One of the main reasons for his dramatic rise in viewership could be tied to the fact that he had very popular and well known guests on the podcast such as Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, etc. However, since 2020 the podcast has only been available on Spotify with highlights uploaded to the YouTube channel, but it can still be considered platform-specific to YouTube and Spotify.

The podcast is a form of digital media, as legacy media includes forms of traditional media and communication, and a podcast uses apps and cellular connection. The podcast itself can be considered to have infinite content as the content varies between episodes and never stops expanding on new or recently talked about topics. His target audience is men between the ages of 20-34. These are the major demographics within the podcast. It’s a non-interactive podcast as Rogan speaks to his guests about a specific topic while the audience listens to what they have to say and forms their own opinions based on what they hear. It’s also considered to be non-linear as you can listen to the podcast whenever you want on Spotify. Rogan uses his high viewership along with the credibility of his guests to portray a bigger message, how he runs the podcast industry, and this is supported by the numbers. Rogan’s podcast seems to be solely digital media and seems to fight legacy media, as all of the communication is done online with his content, so there is no room for traditional or legacy media.

Joe Rogan. Joe rogan. (n.d.). https://www.joerogan.com/

The platform I want to talk about today is a podcast called Distractible, there’s three hosts, named Bob, Wade, and Mark and they just talk about random experiences and hypotheticals from their lives. Originally, the three of them became popular on Youtube and after about 10 years on the platform, they started the podcast in 2021 as another way to entertain their audience. Currently, you can stream the podcast on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon podcasts and older episodes are available on youtube but they don’t regularly update youtube with episodes.

This podcast I believe is finite because within the specific time limits set for the podcast they can only talk about so much in the given time. I believe the podcast is kind of specific to a certain audience, at one point it was one of the most streamed podcasts through Apple Podcasts and Spotify, but most people who listen, were adopters from their earlier works on Youtube. But, with that anyone can listen along even if they don’t know about the hosts time on Youtube. As the “show” has progressed, other forms of media have been used to kind of shape the direction each episode goes. On Reddit, the Hosts have reached out to their specific subreddits and asked for opinions on what they should talk about for new episodes.

This form of media is entirely digital, since it is just audio based through certain platforms, on either desktop or mobile and no real physical copy of the episodes. This podcast can be listened to in any order because the episodes are all independent of each other, besides maybe minor callbacks to specific things that happened in some episodes but mainly, its not linear.

The Basem*nt Yard is a podcast created and hosted by Joe Santagato in 2015 that added the co-host, Frank Alvarez, in 2020. Since its creation, the podcast has sky-rocketed in popularity, and it placed in the top 1% of charted podcasts for the 2023 Spotify Wrapped. The Basem*nt Yard uses a multitude of different aspects from both legacy and digital media.

From a more traditional standpoint, the legacy aspect of this media outlet is shown threw its content and audience. The content can best be described as finite and fixed. Although it would take multiple days of binging, it is possible to watch/listen to every episode of the podcast from start to finish. There is not an infinite amount of content created by an infinite amount of people all the time. Also, once an episode has aired, there is no changing what was said or discussed. Every rewatch has the exact same beginning, middle, and end. From an audience perspective, this podcast is generally more geared towards a mass audience and there is little interactivity from the listeners. The two hosts have multiple discussions throughout the hour-long runtime that can range anywhere from politics to favorite Pop-Tart. There is always something new to discuss, and it is easy for a wide variety of people to find enjoyment in the content. Each episode is based on the hosts having a conversation with each other for the listeners’ entertainment meaning there is no audience interaction. A few comments from the previous post may be worked into the next, but the viewers do not have any recorded discussions with Santagato or Alvarez.

Digitally speaking, The Basem*nt Yard has adapted the newer features of media outlets through its availability and (unrequired) context. As mentioned previously, the podcast has had great ratings on Spotify, but that is not the only place to get the content. The episodes can be watched on Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, and Patreon for exclusive episodes and early releases. Furthermore, the audience can watch it on any platform: laptop, phone, or TV. There is no physical anchor because it is determined by whichever digital device you choose to open it in. A major factor of digital media is its non-linearity which is displayed throughout this podcast. Not only does the discussion change from episode to episode, but it also changes every few minutes as well. There is no overarching storyline being told or multiple-part conversations, it is solely based on whatever they felt like talking about that day or whatever comes to their minds at the moment.

The platform I will be discussing is a Netflix show called Schitt’s Creek. Schitt’s Creek is a Canadian sitcom that was created in 2015 by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy. Schitt’s Creek quickly became one of the most beloved Netflix shows and has won all seven comedy categories it was nominated for at the Emmy awards in 2020. Currently, Schitt’s Creek is no longer available on Netflix, but instead has moved to Hulu and Amazon Prime video for viewers who are still interested in watching the show.

From the legacy aspect of media, the content is finite and fixed in Schitt’s Creek. The show is already completed in its entirety and you can watch the show from start to finish in its full form. The show is also finite because It would take a long time to watch every single episode in the series, but the content of the show does not change. If you decided to watch Schitt’s Creek several years later from now you would still see the same content, but maybe in a different form with advancing technology. Schitt’s Creek also comes from legacy media in the aspect that the show is not interactive. The show is already pre-recorded, therefore there is no possible way for the audience to interact with the show, which is like a majority of shows out there with the exception of some reality tv shows. The last aspect that would apply to this show and legacy media would be that it is non-linear. Schitt’s Creek is meant to be watched from the beginning to the end because it does have a storyline and if you watch it out of order you might miss important details.

In the digital aspect, Schitt’s Creek has different platforms that it can be viewed on. The show originally started on Netflix, but has since moved to other streaming services such as Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudo. Because of this, Schitt’s Creek is not designated to one specific platform. You can watch the show on your phone, laptop, iPad, or tv, which makes it non-platform specific. I think this is the only aspect that this show applies to because it is such a structured show that the majority of its qualities do not fit into the digital media aspect.

The outlet I’ll be looking at is the show The Boys. The Boys first aired in 2019 on the Amazon Prime Videos streaming service. The show is based on a comic series (legacy media) that came out in 2006. The comics had a finite amount of content because they had a limited amount of comic series released, but they are slowly moving to a point of infinite content. With the upgrade of converting the comics into a show, they now have the resources to make as many seasons for the show as they can. Also, for the show The Boys they have been expanding to more mini-series that are within the same universe. Their most recent addition to this case was the show Gen V taking on a new perspective of the same content. All of these shows being forms of digital media allow creative direction to help make the outlet have an infinite amount of content for the foreseeable future.

Another aspect of the directors of The Boys adapting to the shift of digital media is the fact that streaming services like Amazon Prime Videos can be watched anywhere at any time they are very platform flexible. It allows the creators to have free liberty of releasing content to show for a new season. For example, The Boys season 4 trailer was released no more than a month ago, and it has millions of people excited for the release. The way they stream the episodes also builds suspense for the user by releasing an episode 1 time a week. The Boys also have merch websites that allow the user to interact with the content by showing it off to the world which also promotes the show to help viewership.

The show I will be looking at is The Great British Baking Show, a nice and casual reality TV show. It originally started in 2009, with the producer Anna Beatie having to pitch the idea to the controller of BBC Two, a side channel to BBC one, though was eventually promoted to BBC one since it gained a large following of around 6-7 million viewers. Then in 2017, it moved channels again to Channel 4, where it gained a similar amount of following as it did on BBC. The show got popular likely due to it appealing to a more general and casual audience, with a simple, finite structure to each episode that’s easy to recognize. This show used legacy media methods such as DVDs back then to have a way of viewing its old seasons, though only did for 5 seasons of the show due to DVDs phasing out of relevance.

With the rise of more modern websites along with streaming services, the show was able to be more easily distributed digitally rather than physically like with DVDs. With the show being split across 2 different TV channels the series had to be split between the first 8 seasons and the rest of the seasons across different streaming services (Streaming services like Roku for older seasons, and Netflix for the newer seasons.) It’s also accessible by websites, and is promoted online by their TV channel’s social media account when it has a new season. Uniquely, it’s actually one of the few TV shows that still gains a lot of TV viewers due to the episodes being released earlier on TV than it does on streaming services, having 8-10 million average viewers with the recent few seasons. With competitions like these people want to get the results as soon as possible which is something that is borrowed from legacy media, with groups of people watching the show at once.
Overall, the show still functions like a normal TV show would, having a linear and standardized structure to each episode, being a non-interactive TV show, and having a finite amount of content. However, it has adapted to more digital media in order to be more distributed to an even wider audience through streaming services and spreading influence through social media.

The outlet that I will be discussing is the television show friends, which is favorite show amongst many people. Friends is comedy from the 90’s that involves a group of 6 friends living in New York City. The show follows the lives of each of these friends throughout their relationships, careers, and general lives while incorporating lots of humor.

The show has clearly left a legacy, as it had an impact on popular culture during the time it aired. Though the show only ran from 1994 to 2004, it is still a popular show and it is streamed on many digital platforms. For people who watched the show live during the dates that it was airing weekly on the television, the show brings nostalgia to them every time the watch it on a streaming platform today. The show was filmed using traditional sit-com strategies such as a multi-camera set up, a laugh track, and a live studio audience. The roles played in friends are traditional character’s of other roles in classic sitcom’s that have left a legacy. Because the show incorporates both classic and contemporary cultural language, it is a show that all generations are interested in.. Overall, friends has left a legacy on multiple generations.

Because friends has been a popular show even after the last season ended twenty years ago, digital media has become a large part of keeping the show alive. Streaming platforms have had a serious impact on keeping the show alive. Many digital streaming services have gained access to the show over the years, and many people continue to watch the show on these various platforms today. Friends has a strong social media platform and connection with their fans on every type of social media you can think of. Fans are constantly creating memes, and other online posts about the show, culturally connecting Friends lovers around the world through the use of digital media.

For my blog entry, I chose to analyze the TV show “Gold Rush” as a fascinating example of a media outlet that skillfully incorporates features from both legacy and digital media. Originally airing on the Discovery Channel in 2010, “Gold Rush” has evolved to adapt to changing media landscapes.

The show’s roots lie in traditional television broadcasting, following a linear schedule on the Discovery Channel. However, “Gold Rush” has seamlessly transitioned to digital platforms, allowing viewers to access episodes through streaming services and on-demand platforms. This shift demonstrates how the show has embraced the flexibility of digital media distribution while maintaining its legacy presence.

What sets “Gold Rush” apart is its engagement with audiences through social media. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram provide spaces for fans to discuss episodes, share insights, and interact with the cast. This digital engagement extends the viewer experience beyond the screen, adding an interactive dimension that goes beyond the capabilities of traditional media.

Also, the show’s nonlinear storytelling, featuring multiple mining crews across different locations each season, contributes to a diverse narrative structure that appeals to a broader audience. “Gold Rush” stands as a prime example of a TV show successfully blending legacy and digital media elements, showcasing its adaptability to changing viewer preferences and enhancing audience interaction.

The show I will be analyzing is Rick and Morty. This is a popular animated science fiction sitcom that has aspects from both legacy and digital media. The first way it can relate to legacy media is how each episode is only 20-25 minutes so it is finite content. It also relates in the aspect of fixity, because each episode has the same general idea of Rick and Morty going on some type of adventure. Rick and Morty also does not change, once an episode is out that episode is not going to change or have consumer interaction.

The main way that Rick and Morty relates to the digital media aspect is through the availability. You can watch this show on various different streaming services such as Hulu, Max, Youtube TV and Apple Tv. It also can relate to digital media due to the non linear approach the show takes. While there can be references back to other episodes, if you skip ahead, you will still be able to understand each episode. It does not have to be watched in order due to the loose storyline and can be watched out of order.

Most TV shows, like breaking bad, take advantage of digital and legacy media in multiple ways. Breaking bad began as a television show airing in 2008 to 2013 on AMC. As Breaking Bad is a television show, and it aired on cable, I would say it definitely was a form of legacy media, having specific broadcast dates and for new and old episodes at specific dates, advertisem*nts for the show running on cable . At the time of the show running, it was platform specific to television, it was linier with a release schedule for episodes, you could not directly interact with the show, only other fans of the show, and it did have physical media merchandise to it with boxsets for DVDs, shirts and other general merchandise.
However, with a lot of popular shows that were cable only, eventually the license for the show is shared or changed, and before season 4 was premiering on cable, seasons 1-3 were able to be streamed on Netflix, making the show fall into more popularity, and into more of a digital media type of show. Now you could watch episodes whenever you wanted, the fan base could interact on forums still at a much quicker pace, and air times were no longer something to watch to make the show more limited to watch. The platform to watch on as well become more flexible between a phone, laptop, tablet or any device that had Netflix.

The specific media outlet that I chose was a podcast called Hardcore History. I think that it is great because I love history. It has both traditional and more modern forms of media in it. It is made for a very specific audience mostly history nerds like myself. It has elements of traditional media because it is finite like the nightly news. Dan Carlin has a begging middle and end to his show like a news would, making his show linear.
He also has evidence of new more modern media in his podcast, for example it is all digital, and he is much more open to suggestion from viewers than a traditional media outlet would be. He takes suggestions all the time from viewers, and tailors it to their wants. In that sense it makes his podcast platform more flexible because can talk about a lot of thing in history to even politics. He once talked about who he was going to vote for in the 2020 election.

The specific media outlet I picked is the sidemen. The sidemen started as a YouTube group consisting of 7 British content creators on YouTube in 2013. What started as a YouTube channel has progressively become somewhat of a brand, using multiple forms of media. For example, the sidemen have podcasts, live streams, books, live events like charity matches, social media accounts, shows, and streaming services. The sidemen were able to take advantage of digital media as it became more accessible over time. They were also considered to be an important part of YouTube’s content creators, especially after they introduced Sidemen Sundays, YouTube gameshows/ entertainment videos that have aired every Sunday since 2018. It is heavily influenced by game shows that air on TV like Family Feud, wheel of Fortune, deal or no deal, etc. This sparked in popularity due to the creativity and uniqueness as well as good production. Furthermore, the group has managed to benefit from outlets of media like streaming services, like Sideplus. A streaming service created by the sidemen that allows users to watch BTS of sidemen shows and podcasts. Live stream events like soccer charity matches and boxing events are also vital for their success, the live streams were able to attract millions of people around the world making it one of the most watched live streams of the year. Therefore it can be said that the Sidemen have benefitted from multiple forms and outlets of digital media. As digital media keeps changing and transforming in this digital age, they were able to use and benefit from them.

The specific media outlet I chose is “Family Guy” created by Seth MacFarlane. The first episode of this show aired in 1999 and new seasons and episodes are still being created today. However, each episode is around 20 minutes long so it draws more on finite content in that aspect.
Moving onto the audience there is somewhat of a specific audience that Family Guy appeals to which is somewhat of a younger audience. However, this show can appeal to other types of audiences.

It is obviously a form of digital media as it is a television show. It is also a non interactive tv show. However, there are some rare moments when the show might mention a specific letter from a fan or the show might mention the audience’s opinion on certain aspects of the show but they never change the content based off of it.

This show is cross platform across technologies as it can be watched on any form of technology and it can also be watched through different media companies like Hulu, Fox, TBS, and Cartoon Network. Lastly, this show is mostly nonlinear as it just covers a specific theme which each episode. However, there are characters who are introduced in early episodes that show up in later episodes and their introduction into the show is referenced meaning you would have to watch the episode where they are introduced to understand.

Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama series, that premiered in 2005, and is still running to this day with its 20th season about to premiere in March. The show usually consists of 23 episodes a season, each episode about 45 minutes. The show has a specific demographic usually women between the ages of 18-34.

Due to streaming services becoming popular, Past seasons are available on multiple streaming platforms, so viewers have the luxury of viewing them whenever, wherever they please. With upcoming seasons, the show is still like legacy media as episodes are released weekly on a specific day. I would say the content of the show is flexible across platforms, because usually after viewing a new episode’s people would either go on TikTok or twitter and start discussing topics on an episode.

Since the show is still ongoing newer seasons are usually influenced by real world events and people’s opinions, but a remarkable thing about the show that is like legacy media is that each season isa frozen time and takes direct influence from the year it was produced, so it’s kind of like a history lesson on what was going on that year.

Survivor is hands down one of my all-time favorite TV shows. It is on CBS and Hulu; Survivor is a televised game where people are stranded on an island and compete to win money. There is a lot of competitiveness and communication through paper for the most part whilst they are on the island.
Each episode is an hour long, and since there are episodes on before and after, CBS must make decisions about what they show. Even though Survivor’s been around for ages, each season’s got a time limit, and every episode has a limit. Communication is done in person or through papers brought to them or sent to them.
According to some additional research, Survivor is said to be for people of all ages; the age rating is for fourteen and up. Survivor, however, is viewed digitally either live when it airs or after when released on a streaming platform. Survivor, however, is viewed digitally either live when it airs or after when released on Hulu. When it airs people interact on Twitter and make comments on Twitter. Being that the episode is viewable it is a platform-flexible show. It is a linear program since for it to make complete sense you must watch episode one first and then in consequential order for it to make complete sense as to the storyline and what has happened.

For my blog entry, I decided to focus on Good Omens. Good Omens premiered as a television show in 2019 and continues to run, with its second season having just released in 2023. The show is very finite, consisting of episodes that are between 45 minutes to 58 minutes long in length. This means that there is a limited space of content that exists within these time frames.

The show idea stemmed from legacy media, existing first as a book that was published in 1990. The specific demographic of this show ranges from PG13 to an LGBTQIA+ community while the book contents are for mature audiences, especially as audience ratings have evolved with digital media becoming popular. Through the pandemic, this show adapted to being platform adaptable. While it has been in a physical format since 1990, based on the book, the digital era has allowed the show to exist in the Prime video application that can be downloaded and played through the Prime Video application, computer, TV, or mobile device. the show also collaborated, during the pandemic, to release audios that supposed follow the show. However, a limitation with this media is that the media primarily exists on Amazon, as it is a Amazon Studio production. *The utilization of Prime specifically is not necessary, as it can technically be accessed through Apple TV. Though, it could create the argument that this is platform specific. Yet, As well, the book has become adaptable to audio readings, dramatic readings, and still exists both as a hard copy (CD or physical copy of the book) and digital (existing elsewhere on the internet).

The show can fall into multiple categories, and it is typically classified as a horror fantasy comedy. It follows a linear path with flashbacks from time to time. The present story takes place modernly. Though, for context, we are able to see the main characters in different ages to show their development and past. The story genuinely follows these two main characters in their dystopias. Due to the story contents, many fans engage with memes, video edits, fanart, etc. across multiple platforms for these characters.

I decided to do my blog entry on the TV show Stranger Things. It is a show about a group of teens who become entangled in strange situations due to one of the main characters having supernatural abilities. There are currently 4 seasons with about eight episodes per season that typically run for about an hour.
Since the episodes are limited it would be considered finite content which is an example of legacy media. The show has a clear beginning and end it cannot be started at any episode so the storyline would be considered linear. it is also a show that is watched on platforms where individuals cannot comment or post thoughts making it a non-interactive form of media. The series is digital and shared through different streaming platforms making it digital media. The show is relatively new so it shares more characteristics with digital media but still has certain characteristics of legacy media.

I work 3 days a week and my drive are an hour long one way, my car does not have any Bluetooth or aux so i listen to the radio a lot. My favorite station that I get on my drive in is 92.5 XTU. I am able to listen to this for my whole drive, so I am exposed to the media it streams for 2 hours a day minimum. The main show I listen to is the Andy Summers show as they play the repeats in the morning as the main show comes on at 7.
Now the way I listen draws on legacy media as it is played through the radio. But they also cater to digital media as they have an app you can listen on and a bunch of social media platforms to be able to reach out and expand their audience. They blend the two media sources well and it a good balance to be able to get both crowds of listeners on both legacy and digital. They also do lots of community engagement and hold their own events that bring in more to their media and relate to the community in person.

A media outlet I would like to focus on is a YouTube channel I have an interest for which is The Race. The Race is a Formula 1 news outlet which provides news, insights, and opinions about the sport of Formula 1. As I have an interest in Formula 1 and stuff surrounding the sport, this channel and its videos are of interest to me. This media forum began as a channel to cover news about F1, then later evolved into providing analysis of stuff within F1 and provide insights and opinions in any F1-related issue.
While this media forum is loaded with digital media characteristics rather than legacy media, there is still some sort of mixture. If we start with digital media and analyze some of the characteristics of digital media, we can see how this media forum aligns with its characteristics. When looking at The Race, their content is interlinked and does not end and this not only has to do with their content as also it has to do with content of other creators in the platform, thanks to the algorithm in YouTube, as after you are done with their video, YouTube recommends similar content for you to consume. This is also where a small element of legacy media comes into play as their content is usually to be consumed and audience does not usually play a part in the videos themselves, but The YouTube platform also provides a form of interactive element as in the comment section of any video can be used for communication with the content producer as also with other people in the audience. The Race is also individualized as it usually targets a very specific audience. As The Race is on YouTube, their content can be consumed by different technologies such as smartphones, iPad, Smart TV’s, computers, or any other technology that has access to YouTube. Lastly, their content is nonlinear as you can choose what to watch or what to not watch and you choose whenever you want to pause or exit the content.

The show I wanted to write about is My 600-lb Life. The show aired in 2012 on the TLC television network. The show shows how obese people try to stick to an eating plan in order to qualify for weight loss surgery. It is controversial and has led to a series of court cases and debates. The genre of My 600-lb Life is a reality show. The reality show continues to this day with constant new participants. The show is finite due to the limited time of episodes on TV 45 minutes excluding advertisem*nts for Seasons 1-4, and 85 minutes, excluding commercials, after Season 5.
The television show also had two spinoffs. First Beginning in January 2015, TLC began airing My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? It talks about the lives of the contestants after the show. The second spin-off is Skin Tight, which began airing in 2016. It talked about people who struggle with the excess skin remaining after their weight loss successes.
The show’s general audience is residents of the United States, which is in the first place according to statistics, as well as other English-speaking countries. The show is intended for men and women over 18 years of age. The specific audience of the show is people who are overweight or interested in the topic of weight and weight loss.
The show started filming back in 2004, it started out as a legacy media and was intended to be shown on television. Now the show can be easily found in digital media on streaming platforms such as Hulu, Max, and many others. You can also watch it on YouTube. For those who are interested in updates or articles about snow, can find many websites about it on Google or on the official social networks and the TLC website.

For the discussion I decided to look at the podcast “Serial.” “Serial” is a narrative-driven investigative journalism podcast that gained a lot of popularity for its unique storytelling. When it comes to legacy media characteristics, “Serial” aligns with the finite content structure often associated with traditional journalism. Each season focuses on a single true-crime story, providing in-depth coverage and analysis. This finite structure resembles the depth and detail found in legacy media, and resembles the serialized articles often seen in newspapers and magazines. On the digital front, “Serial” utilizes the interactive nature of podcasts by engaging listeners with the content through comments, social media discussions, and online forums, creating a community around the show. The podcast’s nonlinear storytelling approach, with episodes building on each other, adds a digital and on-demand element, allowing listeners to consume content at their own pace.

Over the years, “Serial” has adapted to changing media landscapes by incorporating visual elements on its website, such as maps, documents, and timelines, enhancing the overall digital experience. This strategic blend of legacy and digital media features has contributed to “Serial’s” sustained success and influence among other popular podcasts.

https://serialpodcast.org/

The specific media outlet that I am choosing to discuss is the RossCreations YouTube channel. RossCreations pieces together clips from different random activities that he and his friends come up with. By random, they select people from the public, usually without thier knowledge of being involved, to be a part of these elaborate activities and pranks. These pranks vary from buying every seat in a movie theater but one so a stranger has to sit next to one of them, all the way to bringing a completely totaled car to be detailed at a carwash. These pranks are made to make people around him laugh and have a good time.

The RossCreations YouTube channel has links leading to his subscription-based website allowing certain people to have early access to videos including never-seen-before pranks and behind-the-scenes footage. RossCreatons website also included merchandise for his viewers. This type of digital media is important for the growth of his platform.

RossCreation’s actual YouTube videos are a good example of how legacy is used. Anybody has access to YouTube and can watch a large amount of his videos there. The pranks usually start by showing the viewers what and how they are going to play it out so we get a better understanding. Then they proceed to compile a few clips of different times they performed the prank to give the viewers a few reactions from the same prank. The videos end with a tag of what is upcoming, previous, and where to find more videos!

“The Walking Dead” skillfully integrates elements from both legacy and digital media, creating a nuanced viewer experience. From a legacy standpoint, the show follows a finite and linear storytelling model, with each season featuring a set number of episodes contributing to an overarching narrative. Its general audience appeal, combining horror with character-driven storytelling, reflects a legacy approach, making it accessible to a wide range of viewers. The initial reliance on traditional TV broadcasts and DVD releases represents a legacy method of content distribution.

Simultaneously, the show embraces digital media to enhance its narrative and audience engagement. The advent of online streaming allows “The Walking Dead” to expand beyond traditional TV constraints, offering additional content and a more nonlinear storytelling experience. Spin-off series, webisodes, and interactive online forums showcase the show’s adaptation to the digital era, providing fans with flexibility in exploring the narrative. Social media platforms play a crucial role in fostering a specific audience community, where fans actively participate in discussions, polls, and live interactions with the cast, demonstrating the show’s targeted engagement through digital channels. The shift from physical to digital distribution highlights how “The Walking Dead” has adeptly navigated the transition between legacy and digital media landscapes.

The series I would like to talk about is an animated series called “One Piece.” “One Piece,” the much-admired creation of Eiichiro Oda, is a fusion of legacy and digital media, charming audiences since its manga series began in 1997. Well-known for its lengthy but finite story arcs in manga and anime, the series provides an almost infinite experience through its continuous storyline and constant releases. This shift from traditional to digital media is noticeable in how the series adjusts to the changing ways people consume content. While the physical manga volumes maintain significance, digital releases expand accessibility, allowing readers to engage with the content in versatile formats. The global success of “One Piece” reflects its evolution from appealing to a specific audience of manga and anime enthusiasts to gaining a more widespread viewership.
The evolution of “One Piece” exceeds the standard linear storytelling, venturing into more interactive media. The series actively involves its audience through online forums, social media groups, and dedicated websites, fostering a community-driven experience. Fans contribute to discussions, theories, and artistic works, developing an immersive and hands-on story. Eiichiro Oda engages “One Piece” fans by replying to a variety of questions through the special column SBS (“I’m Taking Questions”), featured in tankoban collections. This combination of classic narrative structures with interactive digital mediums shows how the series navigates the changing media landscape, creating a connection between its legacy and digital aspects of engagement.
Digital media has seen “One Piece” increase its reach through video games, official streaming platforms, and online merchandise stores. These changes demonstrate the series’ adaptability in embracing digital media’s benefits. Whether experienced through traditional means such as manga volumes or online discussions and gaming platforms, “One Piece” demonstrates how a media outlet can navigate the complex interaction between legacy and digital media, ensuring its long-term popularity among audiences worldwide.

(Screenshots from manga panels and anime)
https://sites.psu.edu/digitalcultures2024/files/2024/01/One-Piece–cc4feff208802461.jpg
https://sites.psu.edu/digitalcultures2024/files/2024/01/One-piece-anime-01d081f6a0120551.jpg

Something that has been a part of my life for the last couple of years is Japanese animation or just Anime for short. It has been around for more than 100 years, so it has gone through an extensive and complex change similar to that of media in general. From classical storyboards to animation and full-scale movies, shows, and even games, anime is an example of content that has progressed along with the usage of media.
From its creation anime was used and shown through things such as something targeted at the Japanese demographic. Anime was originally hand drawn and put onto simple things like paper in the form of pictures. Similar to that of comic books that were in the west, this time being called “Manga”. As time went on and the invention of more digital like television became more apparent, Manga had become Japanese Animation, or better known as “Anime”.
The earliest recorded form of Anime was a Japanese animation called “Namakura Gatana”. It was a short film like media that compared to the things today, wouldn’t be all that impressive. Like manga it was still targeted to Asian, primarily Japanese, demographics. Similar media and works to this would be produced with the sole purpose of entertaining Japanese audiences. As time went on and things such as the multiple world wars happened, anime started to be used as a tool for propaganda to reinforce the Japanese ideals.
Fast forward to the last 1900s and early 2000s anime experienced a cultural and viewership boom. Due to western media outlets like funimation and other dubbing companies, Anime was able to reach the west. Through that it has a larger audience and reach. And unlike manga and the Japanese anime it had reached the people of the west and individuals around the world. Eventually things such as websites were developed with the purpose of housing anime and allowing people to watch it without having to have a television set.
Anime is one of those things that can be taken for granted if the history of it is not looked at or at least acknowledged. It has come a long way from the classical manga pages and even to this day uses legacy media form such as that to give a story to its audience. It is something that evolves with time but also uses what worked in the past to its advantage.

Legacy and digital media have contrasting definitions, yet both can be related. Many media outlets reflect the relations between the two media, for example, the Spider-Man movies. A film has a finite start and end, a characteristic of legacy media. Therefore, Spider-Man contains an aspect of legacy media. Movies also do not change content, another characteristic of legacy media that Spider-Man portrays. However, as technology changed, so did the films.

The first movie put out in 2002 was only shown in theaters at first. But as time went on the film was put on Blue-Ray, DVDs, and discs. Eventually, Spider-Man made its way on streaming platforms like Disney +. Along with the change in platforms, there was a change in the interactiveness of the movies. With each new movie release, there are press and conventions. Both press and convention allow people to interact with the actors, directors, writers, and more.

For this blog entry, I chose to focus on the TV show “The Simpsons”. If you live under a rock, The Simpsons is an animated series about a dysfunctional family based in a fictional town, Springfield. This show debuted in 1989, with 35 seasons and 760 episodes, making it the longest-running American animated series, along with the longest-running American sitcom. With how long the show has been on the air, the series’ content has adapted to be relevant to the current events of the time. They used to interact with and make references to what’s now referred to as legacy media, such as newspapers and old television culture. For example, the kids’ TV programs within the show itself, like Itchy & Scratchy, mocked cartoons of the time, specifically Tom & Jerry. You could constantly spot newspapers and other old forms of legacy media in the background as well.
Over time, the content has stayed relevant by mentioning modern forms of media. In more recent times, characters have smartphones and make references to current topics like presidential elections and newer TV shows and movies. Some traditional background objects like newspapers and books were swapped for digital media like phones and computers. Digital media has had such an influence that it’s even crept its way into the theme of multiple episodes. For example, they mocked Apple and the iPhone in an episode where the Simpsons visited a “Mapple” store and revealed that the cost to produce a “MyPhone” was only $8, when the retail price was set at $500 (which ironically reflects the reality of modern phone prices). Personally, I believe The Simpsons accurately depicts legacy media’s role in American culture, and how we’ve transitioned to a digitally dependent world.

The group that I would like to talk about is Critical Role, what started as a weekly online series where professional voice actors played Dungeons and Dragons became much bigger than they could imagine. What started out as a stream of a couple of friends playing a game around their dining room table has exploded, has grown into a series on prime video, officially licensed books, even funko pops. Primarily streamed on twitch, this series began in March 2015 with their first campaign ending in October 2017. 115 episodes were published, and later another campaign would start in January 2018. This ended in June 2021 after 141 episodes were published. Multiple one-shots were made in between these years where the other cast members would take turns DM’ing games, with a spinoff series from the previous campaign coming out in October 2021. Although the primary audience focus was nerdy people of any age, the series exploded with episodes getting millions of views on Youtube.
Critical Role was extremely successful and by campaign 2 they had launched their own official company as well, and began expanding what media they were in. A kickstarter was launched in March 2019 to raise funds for a 22 minute animation called “Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina”. They raised $11.3 million dollars, turning that into a 10 episode series. Quickly after, Amazon Prime Video purchased the streaming rights for the show. It was a huge success, and after the seasons release amazon signed them for at least 2 more seasons of that show. Not only that, but they also announced a show in production about their 2nd campaign.
What I think is unique about this group however is that the game they’re playing has evolved with them too. When the series began they were using scrap paper and were drawing battle maps and had to reference multiple books and papers to run this game. Now D&D and other table top games like it are playable anywhere, with several websites to host games online to play with anyone in the world. It has never been easier to access a table top game, and to find people to play with as well.

“Friends,” the iconic television show that aired from 1994 to 2004, serves as a quintessential example of a sitcom that draws on features from both legacy and digital media. Grounded in the legacy media tradition of network television, the show adheres to the episodic format typical of sitcoms from earlier eras. Each episode follows a self-contained storyline, contributing to the finite nature of the show’s content within its traditional broadcast framework. The use of a laugh track, a common practice in legacy sitcoms, adds to the familiar sitcom conventions. However, “Friends” also demonstrates its adaptability to digital media by leveraging the internet and streaming platforms for a prolonged afterlife. As the show found a new audience through streaming services, it transformed from a finite, scheduled broadcast into an infinite, on-demand experience.

The media forum for “Friends” has evolved significantly since its inception, reflecting the broader shifts in the entertainment industry. Initially, the show thrived in the traditional network television model, adhering to scheduled broadcasts and syndication. With the rise of digital media, especially streaming platforms, “Friends” transitioned seamlessly, allowing fans to engage with the show at their convenience. The show’s availability on platforms like Netflix and HBO Max further blurred the lines between legacy and digital media, embracing a platform-flexible approach. Fans can now binge-watch the entire series or select episodes, showcasing the adaptability of the content to various viewing preferences. The enduring popularity of “Friends” highlights its ability to navigate the changing landscape of media consumption, capitalizing on both legacy and digital media features to maintain relevance across different generations.

I will be talking about the youtuber Luckyy 10P. Luckyy 10P is a youtuber that talks about Destiny 2. Destiny 2 is a video game that is a MMO RPG that has been around for seven years. Over the years that Luckyy has made videos on Destiny 2, his content has consisted of making videos on reviews of new weapons that are added, covering news updated regarding the game, covering new content, and also making commentaries about topics that are ongoing about the game. Luckyy will also stream on a platform from time to time called twitch.
Luckyy’s content is primarily focused on digital media. For starters, you can only find his content on digital platforms. His content is focused on Destiny 2 meaning that is for a specific audience that knows what destiny 2 and people who play it. However, since his content can be found on platforms that feature algorithms that are personalized on the individual tastes creating digital media. He also goes more into digital media because he can be found on two platforms, Youtube and Twitch, not just on one platform. There is also the possibility for an infinite amount of content to be generated on his channel. This is through streaming multiple times a week, and making many videos throughout the week as well. As long as Destiny 2 continues to produce content, he will be there making videos and having streams about it. His infinite amount of content is also non linear. This is because you can watch a review video without needing prior knowledge of what happened with his latest news update video. You can also skip through parts of his videos to skip to a certain part you want to see or hear. He also has content that can be interactive and content that is non interactive. For example, on his youtube videos that would be considered non-interactive because you reply to videos that are past the time frame of the video being created. However, if you were to watch him stream and then comment, that would be considered interactive because you could sway what happens in the stream based off of your comment.

I am doing a blog on DennisCW which is a youtube channel focused on Tech, Finance, and Tesla Motors inc. his first video was posted about 8 months ago starting off as a relatively small channel to a channel with roughly 30k subscribers. The content produced is finite not infinite similar to Legacy media as the main source for content is automotive news which cannot be fabricated. The videos are targeted towards Tesla enthusiasts and potential car buyers which is a specific audience which differs from what typical legacy media was. His videos are exclusively digital as his content is created on a digital platform(youtube) contrasting how Legacy media was largely based on physical content. Determining wether his content is interactive or non interactive is difficult as his content is created on YouTube which allows users to interact with the content creator by commenting. YouTube also allows for videos to be edited and removed after posting them. Although the platform isn’t as interactive as Twitch per say where users can actively in real time interact via a chat with a creator. Therefore I would say the videos created by Dennis CW are both interactive and non interactive to an extent. DennisCW video content is platform specific exclusively on YouTube, although he releases stripped down versions of his content on X formerly known as Twitter. Ultimately this channel produces videos that draw on many features of Legacy and digital media in order to entertain and grow a limited audience in relatively crowded genre of Tesla news.

My blog is going to be about The Simpsons. They have 34 seasons and are about 20 minutes an episode. I think that The Simpsons use both digital and legacy media. The way they legacy media was used for this show was being created in 1989. The way they used digital was since then the ways the show has changed and evolved since it was created.