Talk:
What is Persona Studies?
Its value for the study of online culture and the transformation of our contemporary world(s)

Professor P David Marshall
Chair in New Media, Communication and Cultural Studies, Deakin University

10 Apr 2019 (Wed) 3:00pm to 4:30pm.
Room 4.34, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

Through online culture and social media, something has shifted in our world: a new system of communication has developed that is mediated through the individual and what we share with others. Everyday life now involves a different interplay between how we imagine the public, the personal, the professional and the intimate. To capture this change, a new field of study called persona studies has emerged. Persona refers to the way in which we strategically make and curate an identity for connecting with collectives. This talk explains what is persona studies and why it is important for understanding our contemporary moment.

P David Marshall is a Professor and Chair in New Media, Communication and Cultural Studies at Deakin University in Melbourne Australia. He is the world-leading scholar in the study of public personality systems and their connection to digital and contemporary culture. As the author of 10 books, including Persona Studies: An Introduction (2019), Advertising and Promotional Cultures (2018), Celebrity Persona Pandemic (2016), Celebrity and Power (2014), and New Media Cultures (2004), Professor Marshall’s expertise has led to interviews for many leading international news media including a recent appearance in the documentary film Big in Japan (2017).