Vol. 14, Nº. 1 | 1º semester | Publiseh: 01/01/2016

Guest editors: Maria Abellan Hernandez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) y Marta de Miguel Zamora (Universidad Nebrija)

We live in a period of media and cultural convergence. Every micro-narrative seems to depend on the same generating narrative based on transmedia storytelling. Consumers are new agents in the production of cultural industries. From 'couch potatoes', individuals have transformed into an active part in the media messages transmission, transgressing thus the behavioural limits proposed from 'high to bottom' production models. Today, not only do tv-consumers zap but also connect to their favorite show's webpage while it is being live broadcasted.

They tweet what is going on TV screen. They read next episodes' resumes in their smart phones or tablets, discuss on Internet forums and write in their blogs. They link contents to their personal webpages, buy official merchandising and, even, with skillful creativity, produce alternative plots or stories and spread them through unofficial channels. People’s psychosocial behavior slowly being affected by these new medial possibilities. As a result, in the last few years the classic communicational paradigm has been distorted by the heavy penetration of TIC and peer to peer tools. Consumers don't accept a restricted perceptive experience any more as they feel themselves part of the story. Spectators want to participate actively in the story making easier the sustainability of a simulation society where roles, both professional and consuming, have blurred their defining lines.

Transmedia Phenomena brings along a lot of challenges demanding analysis and evaluation and that’s the main purpose of our proposal for this new issue. We pay particular attention to the new narratives that transmedia make possible, from new narrative tools applied to traditional media to those that are specifically produced to exist in diverse distribution technologies at the same time. We will also pay special attention to new roles this situation is generating, such as the figure of the “prosumer” as an active recipient of new media and cultural products.