Media Personae as Informal Science Communicators on Social Media: An Explorative Study on the Potential of Para-Social Opinion Leadership

Abstract

It is a paradox that science helps us understand the world today better than ever before, while at the same time, science is under siege as misinformation and ‚alternative facts‘ are spread in social media’s filter bubbles and echo chambers. This paper presents an explorative key case study on media personae as potential science communicators on social media. By integrating the concept of para-social opinion leadership into the model of media personae as informal science communicators on social media, the paper explores how media personae can act as opinion leaders and advocate the understanding and communication of science in an informal and creative way.