The old categories of the broadcaster-receptor communicational model have become obsolete. Today we have a broadcaster-to-broadcaster relationship within a space made up of millions of individuals who, with enterprising spirit, have set up micro-multimedia, extremely versatile and easily reproduced, which achieve their mission in an empathic manner. That comes on top of imitation of uses, habits and customs that promote this new manner of connection among the micro-audiences.
This new scenario, in which massive scale replaces the role of stardom, dooms to oblivion the concept of broadcaster and receptor, as the connectivity attained so far has evened out the communication industry. Thus, he we now have the generic called “social networks,” even though they have been spun by mass media corporations.
When presented or recognized as micro-multimedia, we allow ourselves a new categorization, closer to its foundational requirement, which is contacting and relating within a real-time press framework. This new generation of broadcasters implies a major change in the communication DNA; its impact is still to be seen. In this continuous and permanent reshaping that affects us all we find the old keyboards: they have recovered centrality to be the direct generators of this new experience.
This is similar to the reemergence of “word of mouth,” thanks to mobile phones that serve, with amplified accuracy, this connectivity of yore.
And that’s when those who manage to build loyalty prevail and afford more followers (rating), a demanding task for both authors and followers, who become virtual tribes that inhabit a cyber space and try to take it over, investing time and efforts to maintain connected audience levels. This is very similar to what happens to a magazine, a channel or a radio station.