Social media influencers have come under increasing pressure to engage in transparent communication. However, for content that is not explicitly an advertisement, their communication practice can vary widely, reflecting the creator’s interests and attitudes towards transparency.

Jieun Shin, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Media Production, Management, and Technology assistant professor, and Ph.D. alumni Susanna Lee and Jungyun Won, explored this phenomenon in “Transparency Management of Content Creators on Social Media: Motivation, Tenure, and Status,” published online in the Journal of Media Business Studies on Nov. 2, 2022.

The research focused on beauty YouTubers, a distinct community connected by shared styles, routines, and language. They examined the use of the creators’ disclosure-related keywords under the framework of “transparency management.” An automated text analysis revealed that over 60% of channels mentioned at least one transparency-related keyword.

The researchers also found that professionally motivated YouTubers tended to engage in transparency management more than those who lacked such motivation. YouTubers with a large number of subscribers were more likely to engage in transparency management than those with a small number of subscribers.

Posted: November 3, 2022
Category: College News, Research News
Tagged as: Jieun Shin, Jungyun Won, Susanna Lee, Transparency, YouTube