Parasocial Breakup and Twitter: The Firing of Barb Abney

摘要

Audiences can and do form parasocial relationships with media personalities. Media personalities, programs, and stations can use social media to enhance this relationship. More and more stations and programs are using social media to cultivate parasocial relations, but the consequences of this cultivation are largely understudied in terms of parasocial responses. This paper examines the fallout on social media of the loss of a parasocial relationship (called parasocial breakup) with a large market radio DJ who is removed from the air. The results confirm the presence of a parasocial relationship, feelings of parasocial breakup, and the consequences of these parasocial disruptions on station brand identity.