HOW-TO VIDEOS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF AUTHENTICITY IN THE AMATEUR CULTURE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeph.2018.2.05Keywords:
YouTube, authenticity, how-to video, user-generated content, amateur cultureAbstract
As content created by amateurs continues to gain at least as much popularity as professional productions in the online medium, authenticity is key in this ongoing struggle. In this context, this paper discusses the ways in which authenticity is constructed in regard to a popular user-generated genre: the how-to video. It examines a set of eighteen such media texts uploaded on YouTube, that are covering various topics. The study finds that these how-to videos create an authenticity effect through a combination of both external and internal factors. Five main ingredients contribute to the construction of their authenticity: expertise, amateur status, mimesis, emotion and interactivity.References
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