Throughout this research, I will be analyzing the question: What is the effect of apology statements on public perception of Youtube influencers before and after the scandal?
For this study, content analysis research was conducted on cancel culture among YouTube influencers, to see how the public perception of these influencers changes when they do something wrong, as well as when they apologize online for those actions. The research was done on 5 YouTube influencers, selecting each of them for a few different reasons. I selected Tana Mongeau and Jeffree Star, after researching influencers who have been canceled and having the two of them come upon many of the sites I looked at. I selected Laura Lee, Logan Paul, and David Dobrik because they were all influencers that I have seen before, and had known they went through a scandal. After conducting this research, I found that the influencers portrayed a much more formal view of themselves in their apology video than in any other video. Along with that, they spoke with a more formal tone, put themselves together, and also ensured the seriousness of the video. The public eye had very strong opinions on these influencers before and after the scandal, and the results show how cancel culture and apology video affects the public perception of these influencers. The three main themes that emerged from my analysis were From Smiling to Serious, Nonverbal Behaviors that Changed Over Time, and Creating an Authentic Apology.