|
A group of We media performers are famous for posting their travelogues on line. This study calls them “We media travel performers.” By detailing, planning, designing and editing their travelogues, they draw attention from fans with the same likeness. Their online performance is different from selfies posted by casual users like you and me. In the world of selfies and check-ins, these “We media travel performers” wisely manage their online stages by skillful photos, well-written travelogues, and beautiful videos. This study aims to explore their front stages and back stages in order to find out how their online travelogues become the focus of discussion among fans.
This study will apply Ervin Goffman’s dramaturgical theory of the self and society and the concept of “performance turn” by John Urry to analyze four online travelogues and interview four “We media travel performers” behind them. By employing close textual analysis of their postings and conducting in-depth interviews, the goal of this study is to understand how they prepare phots, videos, articles before posting, and what they gain from those travelogues. At the end, it wishes to present their successful business models for other people to follow.
This study finds that pre-planning, content design, expertise of “We media travel performers”, as well as quality of their postings are all crucial to produce excellent online travelogues. Multiple benefits from their online travel performances are also reasons for them to continue working in this field and to let us perceive the future development of online travel performance.
|