‘It is important that you see my personal opinion clearly’

Exploring political micro-influencers’ authenticity labor on Instagram

Authors

  • Carina Kraft The University of Adelaide

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33621/jdsr.v8i141941

Keywords:

social media influencers, political influencers, authenticity, microcelebrity, public discourse, social media

Abstract

Authenticity is a central concept in social media influencer scholarship and typically associated with influencers' economic success. For political influencers, perceived authenticity relates to their credibility. However, the ways in which they cultivate and sustain authenticity remain under-researched. This paper examines political influencers’ authenticity labor on Instagram, focusing on practices by nano- and micro-influencers. Employing a case-study on a recent liberalization in German abortion regulations, the analysis draws on in-depth interviews with nine influencers who publicly addressed the issue on their profiles. The findings highlight the centrality of cultivating authenticity in the political realm, revealing influencers’ strategies, tensions, and the integration of political and personal spheres in their political content. Distinctively, political influencers curate ideologically coherent Instagram profiles but face pressures to maintain this coherence. The study adds political influencers’ own perspectives to scholarship on authenticity on social media and discusses implications for how they may shape political online discourse by personalizing debates and emphasizing value-driven engagement.

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2026-09-08

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Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026)

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Research Articles

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