This study analyzes the multimodal discourses streamers use to authenticate their ways of speaking as genuine when interacting with viewers in monetary-motivated livestreams. This type of livestreaming has two features. First, it encourages viewers to make monetary contributions to streamers in return for preferred conversations. Second, it provides streamers and viewers with distinctive modes of communication, framing streamers as focal participants during interactions, physically and metaphorically. Besides donations, viewers often make assessments of the degree of "realness" or "stagedness" of streamers' performances (Coupland, 2014). In response, streamers perform an array of discursive activities, such as narrating stories, or purposely speaking in a high pitch, to demonstrate that they are not using contrived theatrics to attract viewers; instead, their livestream talk is the same as that used in everyday interactions. These discussions are rife with metapragmatic comments, which are "metalinguistic and evaluative" by nature (Pizziconi 2007:50).
Drawing data from Lang Live, a popular streaming application in Taiwan, this study investigates the channel-specific resources streamers use to demonstrate an authenticated performance, as "being myself," during live broadcasts. Informed by an interactional linguistic approach (Couper-Kuhlen & Selting, 2001), the qualitative analysis is carried out (1) at the micro-level, to examine interaction practices between streamers and viewers; (2) at the macro-level, to explore discussions on streamers' relatively authentic self to be recognized and viewers' desirable values to be performed. This study sheds light on how streamers' authenticating practices are semiotically constructed, and will explore how language use is reflected upon in the virtual public space of livestreams.
