Premium
Satirists as opinion leaders: is social media redefining roles?
Author(s) -
Crittenden Victoria L.,
Hopkins Lucas M.,
Simmons J. M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of public affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.221
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1479-1854
pISSN - 1472-3891
DOI - 10.1002/pa.400
Subject(s) - deconstruction (building) , opinion leadership , social media , sociology , public relations , media studies , political science , social science , law , engineering , waste management
Satire has been used throughout history to raise awareness of critical issues. Although its use was once limited to professional satirists and to the media, it has evolved over time and has now become a genre of the masses. The combination of social media and satire has not only changed the nature of critical inquiry and discourse but also redefines the concept of satirists as opinion leaders. This paper overviews the linkages among satire, social media, and message deconstruction and offers four types of satirical opinion leaders: traditionalist, creator, rookie, and technologist. The examination results in several major research questions deserving of future exploration. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.