Henry is professor of communication, journalism, civic arts and education at the University of Southern California. Previously, he was on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As one of the first media scholars to chart the changing role of the audience in an environment of increasingly pervasive digital content, Henry has been at the forefront of understanding the effects of participatory culture on business, politics, and education. His research gives key insights about the success of social-networking websites, networked computer games, online fan communities and other advocacy organizations, and emerging news media outlets.
Through parallels drawn between the consumption of pop culture and the processing of news information, he and his fellow researchers have identified new methods to encourage citizen engagement. Henry has also played a central role in demonstrating the importance of new media technologies in educational settings.
He has published numerous books, including “Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture” (Routledge, second edition, 2012), “Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide” (New York University Press, 2008), “Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture” (with Sam Ford and Joshua Green, New York University Press, 2013), and “Participatory Culture in a Networked Era” (with Mizuko Ito and danah boyd, John Wiley & Sons, 2015).