New Media Writing is a genre of writing that uses any one or combination of “new” technologies including the Internet, email, podcasting, and other forms of interactive media. Often, new media writing is a collaborative art form, with the audience also adding to content. Basically, New Media Writing is writing that only happens on the computer screen. Yes, you could print it out, but there would be no point. It (new media) can only occur in a digital, interactive environment.
In fact, the concept of there being no point to print out writing has generated quite a bit of controversy. Some argue that e-books will decrease book sales. However, several articles note that, so far, the opposite seems to be true (see Cory Doctorow's "Giving It Away" and Maureen Farrell's "How the Internet Saved Literacy").
“Convergence” is a word often used in discussing New Media Writing. The genre is the convergence of text, images, coding, and other technology to create new literature.
Some forms of New Media Writing are not necessarily created using new technologies, but they may be influenced or delivered to users by new media. Examples of this are Fan Fiction and The Graphic Novel, which have greatly increased in popularity since the rise of the Internet.
Related Terms: