From Autographs to Fan-Celebrity Selfies: A New Media Genre in the Evolving Participatory Media Culture

Drawing on empirical data derived from an online survey, this paper examines the fan‐ celebrity relationship within participatory media culture through an examination of the fan‐ celebrity selfie and the classic type of autograph‐taking. We argue that the fan‐celebrity selfie is a new media genre whose value emanates from the possibilities of online publication and sharing, provided by the increasing number of digital platforms with user‐generated content. Although both autographs and selfies signify a conquest on the part of fans, the achievement of a coveted or long‐awaited contact with the celebrity world, selfies provide fans with an enhanced experience of a greater proximity, paving the way to a more intimate relationship.