Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Michael Hazel

Second Advisor

Dr. Kristina Morehouse

Abstract

A celebrity’s success depends upon building and maintaining their ‘well-knownness.’ The increase in usage of and access to social media platforms like the micro-blogging platform Twitter have led celebrities and their publicity teams to incorporate social media into their branding and communication strategies. The purpose of this thesis is to examine celebrity presence on and usage of Twitter and its implications for the role of celebrity publicists. The study is based in the narrative paradigm, which recognizes and honors each individual’s story telling abilities. A case study including three influential female pop singers was conducted, and the results were analyzed using ideological rhetorical analysis. Regardless of the risks its usage may present, their presence on Twitter indicates that celebrities and their publicists recognize value in social media involvement.

Comments

All rights reserved.

Share

COinS