Dear Colleagues, The Language, Semiotics and Society Seminar Series is pleased to announce the first talk of its 2026-2027 cycle, Critical Perspectives on Labour and Professional Communication. The Language Work of Social Media Influencers as 'New Generation Copywriters' Invited speaker: Dr. Olivia Droz-dit-Busset (Pädagogische Hochschule Bern) October 22nd, 2026, 4pm (16:00) Central European Time Register at: [ https://tally.so/r/44e1lO | https://tally.so/r/44e1lO ] - All audiences welcome Discussants Erin McInerney (Université de Lorraine, ATILF, ICAR) - erin.mcinerney@univ-lorraine.fr Grégoire Lacaze (Aix-Marseille Université, LERMA) - gregoire.lacaze@univ-amu.fr Overview Discussing [ https://www.routledge.com/The-Language-Work-of-Social-Media-Influencers--as-... | her new book ] , Olivia Droz-dit-Busset investigates the language work of social media influencers (SMIs) and copywriters in the advertising industry. This seminar presentation examines the mediatised discourses metadiscourses and working processes of SMIs and copywriters, exploring how SMIs might be considered as ‘new-generation’ copywriters. Droz-dit-Busset's research makes the case for not only exploring the advertising textual products created by these wordsmiths (i.e., relatively 'elite' language workers), but also the underpinning workflows behind them. In doing so, she reveals how SMIs’ and copywriters’ strategic use of frame-shifting, voice work and professional labelling illuminates broader transformations in language work and how this labour is valued, organised and legitimised in contemporary digital economies. This seminar will appeal to sociolinguists, scholars of digital media studies and professional communication, as well as to practitioners interested in understanding how new forms of language work are reshaping traditional advertising and marketing practices in the social media age. This seminar will appeal to sociolinguists, scholars of digital media studies and (professional) communication, as well as to practitioners interested in understanding how new forms of language work are reshaping traditional advertising and marketing practices in the social media age. We look forward to welcoming you online! -------------------- Erin McInerney, PhD Junior Lecturer and Research Fellow (ATER) in English Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire ATILF Affiliate Researcher, Laboratoire ICAR, ENS de Lyon [ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6415-7360 | ORCID ] [ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bOxT9p4AAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=1 | Google Scholar ]