Caroline Jordan

The digital world which dictates so much of our lives in the present day provides many unique opportunities and forces traditional views on both media theory and life itself to adapt and change. My senior thesis paper explores one theory that is changing the way we view a digital economy and what I believe to be the best example of where this is taking place. In the online economy built on social media and media sharing sites like Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Reddit, and many many more, the traditional concept of a “market” economy, where money is exchanged for goods and services, is fused with another type of economical model, the “gift” economy, to create a new structure that has aspects of both and yet is separate. Media Theorist Paul Booth calls this the “Digi-gratis media economy,” where two parties exchange digital goods and services of value. This type of media economy is on display in many different ways and forms, from the creation of fanfiction and fan wikis to Alternate Reality Games and role-playing. However, one of the places it is most clearly on display is on the video-sharing site YouTube in the relationship between creators and fans. YouTube content creators rely on their audiences not only to gain popularity, but also to make a living– therefore, relationships with the fans, who view videos for free, are very important. The Digi-gratis media economy is most evident in the trend of creators making videos featuring fan-made content, which rewards both fans and creators and shows the non-monetary exchange of digital goods that Booth theorizes on.

Social graphic used for Instagram/other social media platforms highlighting specific website resource for nonprofit

Social graphic used for Instagram/other social media platforms highlighting specific website resource for nonprofit

As part of my certificate from the University of Denver in Digital Marketing, one of our tasks was to design, create, and write copy for a mock business website. The assignment was to create a functional WordPress site consistent with SEO best practices for a fictional tour company offering local tours and experiences in an area we were familiar with.
For this site not only did I design the business and associated aspects such as the logo, but also built the website from the ground up using WordPress, designed the graphical look and feel of the site, and wrote some faux blog content for fictional business.

Researched and wrote essay as final semester academic project for study-abroad course at Goldsmiths University of London. This essay explores the way that media can affect the way that historic events are remembered in a modern cultural environment, using the example of the Doctor Who episode "Rosa" and how it depicts the events of the American Civil Rights movement.