Research Article

The Positive Impact of Fan Culture on Cross-media Communication of Cultural IPs: A Case Study of Harry Potter

Yuxuan DongShaanxi Normal University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

In the context of today's media convergence, cross-media communication of cultural IPs has become the norm, with fan communities playing a significant role in this process. This paper takes the cross-media narrative communication and development of cultural IPs driven by fan culture as its research object, and selects the globally renowned cultural IP "Harry Potter" as an example. Through using the case analysis and literature review techniques, consulting the materials and literature in question, it examines and evaluates the journey of fan culture transformation and how it fills and expands narrative gaps in official work by the fans themselves. The study concludes that the creation of fans can enrich IP stories; fans contributing to the generation of a production also becomes the cross-media communicator of such a cultural product (games, musicals, and short videos, to name a few). This research shows that the culture of fans positively influences the IPs in 3 dimensions: first, it leads to the joint writing of the official and the public and indefinitely expands the narrative scope; second, it creates a positive cycle of the generation - attention - commercial value - new generation, supporting the unremitting appreciation of the commercial value; third, it contributes to the continuous integration of attention to new focuses, ensuring the sustainability and leading role of cultural impact.

Keywords: Fan culture; cross-media communication; prosumer; narrative expansion introduction
Published: February 2, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.BJ31527
Volume: CHR Vol.101
pp. 68-75
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