Beyond ‘UGC’

August 4th, 2009 at 05:54pm Creative

Through conversation with the BBC FM&T team regarding our ‘Manchester on Screen’ show I have come across the Knowledge Exchange Programme (KEP), a collaboration between the AHRC and BBC R&D staff. In a recent newspaper style piece of print they have published 8 studies covering everything from how the BBC works with user generated content and how older users use digital services to the development of a 3D online world designed for children.

What caught my eye particularly was the suggestion that we should move beyond using the term ‘user generated content’ (ugc) when describing ways audiences interact with the media.
Instead the term ‘audience material’ is proposed – and this in turn covers five main types of interaction:
1. Audience content – audience footage, experiences and stories
2. Audience comments -opinions shard in response to a call for action.
3. Collaborative content – produced by the audience with support and sometimes training from professionals
4. Networked journalism – professionals and amateurs working together to get a story
5. Non-news content – eg photos of weather or wildlife.

Although this is in the context of the BBC and broadcast media, I think it can equally apply to how we at Urbis might define the different types of interaction we want to encourage from our visitors and audience, and lead to better planning of high quality activities and events as part of our exhibitions.

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