Open Access

Elke HemmingerORCiD

• This case study is about a project that focuses on media personae as para-social opinion leaders on social media platforms. We are currently witnessing a change in the quality of para-social interaction on social media platforms due to practices that include live video chats, for example, on Instagram, which allows media personae to engage in direct communication with their fans. While we know a lot about the fans’ perspective on fandom, the media personae’s opinions are usually the subject of speculation. In this project, the researcher used the same tools that the media personae use to engage with fans for her research in order to interview media personae. These new digital tools make it possible for researchers to get direct access to a media personae’s perspective and ask them questions. On the other hand, the tools were not designed for research, so these projects need a special design and funding in order to work. The paper will, therefore, discuss the special benefits, challenges, and limitations of using digital applications like cameo.com and RealTalkLive.com for qualitative interviews with media personae.