Unsung convergence of analogue to analogue: Add-ons,supplements and the evolving roles of the print newspaper

Abstract

While the by-now familiar debate on media convergence has focused on the blending of the analogue and the digital, and has primarily considered technical features, other forms of convergence have been neglected. In this article, we focus on the unsung convergence between analogue and analogue. This convergence has been realized by newspapers with analogue media, while also to a lesser extent with digital media, through the introduction of supplements and of media add-ons. Although these extensions of newspapers are not new, their historically recent revival has specific meanings. After analysing these two strategies within the general theoretical framework of convergence, we discuss their characteristics and implications for newspapers. We conclude with a call for the mapping of the variety of unsung forms of convergence, in order to build a less limited and more solidly anchored conception of the processes at work.