Media and Celebrity

While all societies have coveted those seen as ‘especially remarkable’ (Alberoni, 1972: 75), the mass media have unleashed previously unavailable means to the nurturing of stardom. Illustrated by an increasing prominence in some news outlets, a dominance of sectors of the magazine markets and in the upsurge of reality TV, celebrity has come to constitute a central part of the media industries.

The ‘Media and Celebrity’ issue of WPCC takes the viewpoint that there is a need for scholars of media and cultural studies to critically examine this trend. The issue aims to bring together a range of contemporary and historical approaches that will shed light on today’s fame culture, on a production and consumption level as well as in terms of wider social analysis.

Areas of interest include:

1. Analyses of trends/ historical moves in the constitution of a celebrity culture
2. The production of stardom: PR, branding and media professionals
3. The inter-relations between the media, fame culture and politics
4. Celebrity discourse in journalistic output
5. Celebrity magazines and reality TV
6. The consumption of celebrity
7. Celebrity from a non-Western perspective
8. The cultural functions of celebrity

Applicants may submit abstracts of no more than 200 words to Sofia Johansson (e-mail address provided below). The deadline for the submission of abstracts is Friday the 18th of March.

WPCC is online at the following web address.