The Concept of Reach

As my presentation for SxSW is coming closer, I felt it was time to clarify some of the concepts from my discussion of nanocelebrity. Perhaps the most important to look at is the concept of reach. Normally, reach is discussed as an effect of the network itself. People can connect with others on Facebook because of the methods that Facebook use to connect members. Some have made the argument that Facebook no longer fits the category of an online social network as it has reached the level of a broadcast platform. The rationale for this point is that members lose their own voice and gain the ability to connect with other sites through the use of Facebook Connect.

The overall theme of this session is the “Post Post- Modern Celebrity.” So, what’s is post-post-modern? The organizer of our session, Ryan Junell, framed this concept by describing modernism as “the post-enlightenment industrialization mostly in the west in the 19th and 20th centuries” & post-modernism “a reaction to modernism’s sense of objectivity and defines an era of a late-capitalism.” So, it seems that the idea of the “a post post-modern” would need to go beyond this initial reaction to focus on some of the subjectivity that presents itself, address that subjectivity in a critical manner and look at how the newer tools of production & channels of communication impact our understanding of modern society. A great place to begin a critical look of modern society is by examining what we as a society consider the best representation of our society, the celebrity.

Voice is one of the foundation of the nanocelebrity, the ability to explain niche topics with an authentic voice. Information presented in a clinical manner will tend to lose the general audience. In addition, voice acts as a carrier of information throughout a network. If one is able to present information in a short, concise manner and have that information resonate with the general audience on a regular basis, more likely than not that person will be able to find a following. If that information is of a niche, specialized nature, than one begins to develop a nanocelebrity status.

A traditional celebrity typically doesn’t have an issue with reach because they are supported by traditional media system. Microcelebrities and nanocelebrity are restricted by the limitations of reach within an online social network. Microcelebrities combat this limitation by presenting entertaining content of a viral nature. Nanocelebrities combat this limitation by presenting niche content that fits within the limitation of the network(s).