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Authors:Peter English, David Fleischman, Rory Mulcahy, Lenny Vance, Aaron Tham, Merryn Sherwood Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Brisbane will stage a more regionally focused Olympics and Paralympics in 2032 when it follows in the footsteps of a series of mega-city hosts. In this new environment, in which there are challenges finding nations willing even to bid for the event, it is important to understand how sentiment is expressed towards this Games edition, which is being promoted as delivering a sustainable legacy while experiencing different demands, levels of buzz, and risks than previous hosts. This study examines audience emotions towards Brisbane 2032 across 60,929 messages and posts from Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and online media articles between 2021 and 2023. The results highlight positive sentiment overall and outline key themes that the community perceive to be important. However, the findings also indicate early concerns and levels of anxiety towards elements of the Games. The multi-layered analytical approach of this study ensures it progresses beyond general judgements on positive and negative sentiment, providing a more nuanced understanding of emotions towards Brisbane 2032. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-07-25T11:06:18Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241266804
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Authors:Chenglong Xu, Tyreal Yizhou Qian, Lei Yang, Dongfeng Liu Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. The current study explored the thematic framing of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on X (Twitter), examining how these thematic frames and audience engagement varied across various content creator tiers—mega, macro, micro, and nano content creators—throughout the year surrounding the event. Through the lens of the framing theory, we employed LDA topic modeling and identified three dominant thematic frames: athletic achievements and competition results, international participation dynamics including boycotts and diplomatic engagements, and geopolitical undertones reflecting on the host nation and global conflicts. A noticeable relationship between thematic frames and engagement levels was observed consistently across creator tiers, with athleticism and contest outcomes garnering sustained attention, underscoring its pivotal role in event discussions. Moreover, our findings revealed unique engagement patterns across creator tiers. Mega creators amplified reactions to sports achievements. Macro creators displayed varied engagement, suggesting responsiveness to ongoing events. Micro creators saw fluctuating engagement with a focus on geopolitical issues. Nano creators actively engaged with both sports achievements and political discussions. Overall, the study illuminates the complexities of media representations and audience perceptions, while dissecting the impactful role played by different tiers of content creators in driving public engagement with a global sporting spectacle. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-07-25T04:19:30Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241262667
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Authors:Andrew C. Billings, Marie Hardin Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print.
Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-07-24T07:20:10Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241264966
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Authors:Molly Harry Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. From 2020 to 2024, the United States Congress held 11 hearings pertaining to name, image, and likeness (NIL). Various stakeholder groups have participated in these hearings including Congress and those looking to “maintain” or “disrupt” college sport and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Despite the significance of NIL to college athletics, limited research has examined these hearings and the messages communicated within them. Thus, critical discourse analysis and agenda setting theory were used to shed light on the language surrounding NIL through the Congressional hearings. Findings demonstrate the aforementioned groups’—Congress, “Maintainers,” and “Disruptors”—used narrative framing and topic selection, resulting in conflicting agendas and mixed messaging. Implications include improved communicative and political strategies for NIL stakeholders, enhanced NIL education for college athletes, and the extension of agenda setting theory to sport communication. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-07-20T08:05:08Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241265008
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Authors:Kelli S. Boling, Jessica Walsh, Brian Petrotta, Jason Stamm Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. As athlete activism increases and social justice movements gain support and legitimacy, sports journalists have used Twitter (now the social platform X) to discuss off-field issues such as the gender pay gap, Black Lives Matter, and #MeToo. This content analysis examines 880 tweets from sports journalists who tweeted about Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022. Findings contribute to scholarship on the prevalence of sports journalists’ opinions when posting on social media and add to the literature on the symbolic annihilation of women athletes. The analysis also found that sports journalists working for large or elite news organizations were largely absent from the Roe v. Wade conversation on X and that the relationship between the role of the media professional (editors, reporters, broadcasters, and writers) and opinion posting was moderated by their influencer score. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-06-15T08:22:52Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241261329
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Authors:James T. Morton, Chris Hanna Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Northwestern University was forced to respond to hazing allegations within its football program when an anonymous complaint was filed following the 2022 football season. This study examines the strategies Northwestern utilized in its communication strategies. The strategies are investigated through the lens of image repair theory. A longitudinal approach was taken to assess how Northwestern handled the communication crisis over a five-month period. Northwestern employed all five of Benoit's major image repair strategies but relied most heavily on reducing offensiveness. Northwestern’s over-reliance on the reducing offensiveness strategy, coupled with the lack of use of the mortification strategy resulted in an increased negative response from the media and likely more lawsuits from alleged victims. Additionally, the strategy employed prolonged the length of the crisis. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-06-13T08:15:51Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241261334
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Authors:Jeongbeom Hahm, Rei Yamashita Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This study explores the factors influencing satellite sport fans’ social media engagement, focusing on Japanese National Basketball Association (NBA) fans. Using the technology acceptance model and Brand Respect Scale, we analyzed the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived trustworthiness on social media stickiness and investigated the mediating roles of brand trust, brand performance, brand acceptance, and brand reputation. A partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis of data from 813 Japanese NBA fans revealed that perceived usefulness and enjoyment significantly affected social media stickiness, while perceived trustworthiness indirectly influenced this stickiness through brand trust and acceptance. The study advances the theoretical understanding of social media behavior among satellite sport fans and provides practical implications for optimizing social media strategies to enhance fan engagement. Our findings offer valuable insights for sport teams and organizations seeking to strengthen their connection with geographically distant fans. In addition, this research paves the way for future studies to encompass diverse age groups, sports, and regions to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing satellite sport fans’ social media engagement. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-05-21T01:11:18Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241251753
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Authors:R. Lance Holbert, Leland G. Holbert Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Gambling has become a more prominent aspect of American sports culture after the 2018 United States Supreme Court decision offered in Murphy v National Collegiate Athletic Association that rendered the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional. A secondary analysis of 2022 PEW American Trends Panel (ATP) data (N = 3900) explores social media news exposure and satisfaction as predictors of the salience of, attitudes toward, and behavioral engagement with sports gambling. Social media news exposure and satisfaction do not predict individual-level salience of the expanded legalization of sports betting. However, social media news exposure and an individual’s satisfaction with news content on X, Facebook, and YouTube positively predict feelings that sports betting is good for society and sports culture. Social media news exposure positively predicts sports gambling behaviors. A broader media effects research agenda pertaining to sports gambling is outlined based on these findings. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-05-16T11:53:43Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241251810
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Authors:Marie Hardin, Andrew C. Billings Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print.
Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-05-16T04:20:12Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241252493
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Authors:Patrick Crowe, Vincent Peña Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Sports media research has often found that athletes are depicted differently based on stereotypes attached to their racialized bodies, and often along a Black/white racial binary. Furthermore, Black men often receive more and harsher penalties for drug use compared to all other racial and gender categories. Using critical discourse analysis, this study explores how NFL athletes who either openly admitted to using illicit drugs or failed National Football League (NFL)-mandated drug tests were covered by sports media. Four NFL athletes (two Black, two white) were selected based on their prominence — Josh Gordon, Randy Gregory, Chris Long, and Aaron Rodgers. The findings tell us that the selected Black athletes were often demonized in coverage by being portrayed as addicts or criminals and objectified as commodities whose value rose and fell with each suspension/return. Additionally, journalists often deployed neoliberal logics to both criticize and defend Black and white athletes. The white athletes in the study were portrayed as intellectuals looking to challenge the NFL’s authority, “good person(s),” and went unpunished for their drug admittance. This study finds that monolithic coverage of athletes is not fair, however the stereotypical notions of the Black/white binary are present when analyzing media discourse on athletic drug use. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-04-26T06:27:35Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241249142
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Authors:Olan Kees Martin Scott, Michael Van Bussel, Bo (Norman) Li, Adam T. Pappas, Gillian Golosky, Victoria Dewar Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This study explored how nationalism was perpetuated by the Seven Network’s broadcasting of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games during a time, in which much of Australia was in various forms of Covid-19 lockdowns. Self-categorization theory was used to analyze all the primetime coverage of the Seven Network’s main channel for name mentions, description of success or failure, and personality and physicality of the Olympians. Results of this study underscore large differences in the way in which the Seven Network portrayed Australian and non-Australian athletes. Whilst the majority of the top-20 most-mentioned athletes list were Australian, non-Australian athletes received the bulk of the name mentions. There were also differences in the ways in which Australian and non-Australian athletes’ success and failure were portrayed. This study contributes to the literature by uncovering how a major sporting event was covered by a national broadcaster during the Covid-19 pandemic and shows that Australian media catered its coverage to its home audience, who were in lockdowns. Thus, interest and viewership of the Tokyo Olympics was high, which might have been the impetus for the Seven Network to create a largely partisan program. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-04-20T03:34:04Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241247770
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Authors:Yangkun Huang, Yuan Gao, Jiayu Yang Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Sports-related online abuse has evolved into an inevitable issue and even those athletes and teams honored as national icons cannot be exceptional. This study explores how exposure to abusive content on social media affects sports fans’ behavior. More specifically, the researchers draw from social psychology and exam the rejection-identification model with fans’ team identity and hate for rival teams as parallel competitive mediators in the context of online abuse in sports. Using a sample comprising 917 fans of the Chinese Women’s National Volleyball Team (CWV), the study suggested that exposure to online abuse is linked to a decrease in fans’ intention to create content and advocate for their teams on social media. However, the identification with their idol and hatred towards the opposing groups are evidenced to buffer negative behavioral impacts, revealing an effective psychological mechanism among fans. These findings shed light on the dual psycho-behavioral impacts of online abuse on sports fans and provide practical implications for addressing online incivility and mitigating its toxic effects on sports communication and management. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-04-12T09:52:30Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241244706
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Authors:Yoseph Z. Mamo, Christos Anagnostopoulos, Simon Chadwick, Damon P. S. Andrew Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This study examines the public’s perceptions of a speech delivered by FIFA’s president in a press conference one day before the Qatar 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup. In total, 34,714 publicly available user responses were collected from news media YouTube channels in North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as from Twitter hashtags related to the press conference. This user-generated content was analyzed using sentiment analysis to determine the degree of positivity or negativity, followed by qualitative thematic analysis to identify specific factors influencing public perceptions of Infantino’s speech, including both positive and negative aspects. The results suggested that FIFA’s communication was “debated” due to questions and challenges posed by the public. It is noted, however, that the magnitude of negative and positive evaluations varied according to the medium used and the region. Negative evaluations related to ‘hypocrisy’, ‘lack of transparency’, and ‘diplomatic hedging’, whereas positive evaluations related to ‘symbolic communication’, ‘activist governance’, and ‘cultural appropriateness’. Using the public as a resource for institutional evaluation, this research contributes to the scholarship of sport management by analyzing the impact of communication on an organization’s moral legitimacy. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-04-10T04:33:14Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241243374
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Authors:Brigid McCarthy Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This paper analyses news media coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic skateboarding competition, which paid significant and celebratory attention to the extraordinary youth of the medallists in the women’s disciplines. The coverage was marked by a postfeminist sensibility that constituted the girl-child skater via a ubiquitous and enduring girl power discourse, and idealised them as sites of extraordinary feminine capacity. These narratives located girls’ success in their exceptional youth, market potential, and personal agency, reinforcing neoliberal norms which privilege individualism, entrepreneurialism and choice. However, while offering the girl athletes as testaments to feminist progress in a historically male sport and culture, news narratives tended to render girls’ athletic labour virtually invisible and to elide larger issues that may impact women skaters and girl-aged elite athletes. This paper addresses a call for further attention to postfeminist sensibility as it manifests in contemporary media coverage of women’s sport in order to understand the kind of contradictions that can manifest in media narratives that simultaneously celebrate women’s achievements while denying the existence of larger structural issues affecting them. Additionally, it addresses a gap in feminist sport media research that has largely overlooked the girl-child elite athlete. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-29T08:30:13Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241242721
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Authors:Patrick C. Gentile, Luke A. Skuratowicz, Zachary W. Arth Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This paper seeks to understand how Americans in the professional baseball community communicate with Spanish-speaking players. To further uncover how English-speaking players interact with their Spanish-speaking counterparts, 22 interviews were conducted with American members of the baseball community. Through the purview of cultural fusion theory, this article seeks to understand how English and Spanish-speaking baseball players accommodate each other. More specifically, the researchers interviewed ten current MiLB players, three former players, four current coaches who also played professionally, four team and league personnel, and one athletic trainer. It was concluded that baseball is a language that everyone can use to communicate through and players must be comfortable to immerse themselves in Spanish to learn and to be willing to fail. Interviewees also claim that language learning improves team chemistry which can impact wins and losses. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-28T10:13:15Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241242719
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Authors:Dunja Antunovic, Andrea Bundon, Lindsey Lehrfeld, Peter Gancayco Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Prior to the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games, rights-holding broadcasters in multiple countries promised record-amount of coverage, including on digital platforms. This paper analyzes how NBC and CBC, the broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, utilized social media platforms during the Paralympic Games. We employed two methodological approaches. The first draws on agenda diversity literature to provide a quantitative, descriptive analysis of Paralympics-related posts, interactions with other accounts, and gender representations. The second approach draws on research on the televisual logic of digital media to identify and interpret presentation, sequence, and visualization patterns. Our multidimensional analysis found differences in the volume of Paralympics-related posts and the utilization of interactive elements, across the two broadcasters. The coverage on both accounts highlighted home-nation athletes and their competitions, which shaped gender representations and the rhythm of social media coverage. Both broadcasters followed established sequences of mega-events, with the exception of an international conflict. CBC relied primarily on one journalist to provide updates and curling-related recaps, while NBC directed audiences to watch sports where U.S. athletes succeeded. We discuss the theoretical and methodological implications of cross-national comparative coverage of the Paralympics. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-20T11:48:16Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241238139
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Authors:Rich G. Johnson, Miles Romney, Kevin John Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Previous studies on sports images have often focused on gender and race representation. However, with the rise of social media, sports photographers worldwide are fighting professionally produced and user-created images for audience attention. Recent scholarship has shown that stronger storytelling elements in sports photographs spur an increase in lower-level engagement metrics. The current study dives deeper into the types of images that generate key social media engagement. Researchers conducted a biometric analysis of 28 randomly sampled Instagram images from sports networks’ official feeds. Results indicate that social media images containing metacommunicative themes increase audience engagement. These findings offer insights into improving social media engagement for sports news sources. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-20T08:11:44Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241233174
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Authors:Andrew Dix Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. The current study focused on the red cards and yellow cards that referees gave to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in Division I women’s college soccer for their in-game communicative actions. These cards are distributed to players who are perceived to have engaged in a reckless play or an action that involved excessive force. Within the United States, HBCUs are institutions of higher education that historically and primarily serve students who are of African American descent. Thus, the strong Black woman collective (SBWC) theory of communication was the theoretical frame because this study focused on small groups that were mostly comprised of African American women. Previous studies on referee bias were summarized in the literature review. Publicly available data on 19,360 soccer games were then analyzed. The findings indicated that referees gave more red cards to HBCU women’s college soccer teams relative to predominantly White institution (PWI) women’s college soccer teams at a statistically significant level. Yellow cards were also disproportionately distributed to HBCUs relative to PWIs. Implications for communication theory were noted in the study discussion as were interpretations on why referee bias against HBCUs continues to occur. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-16T10:21:11Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241239562
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Authors:Zachary W. Arth, Mackenzie P. Pike, Patrick C. Gentile, Brandon Bruce, Daniel Capuano Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) featured over 600 players representing 20 countries. Due to relaxed eligibility requirements, over one quarter of the players represented countries that differed from their birth nation. Through the lens of Social Identity Theory, the guiding research question of this study asked how identity is enacted and discussed when player nationality either aligns or does not align with the country they represent in the WBC. All WBC games featured on Fox networks were analyzed and any phrase describing a player was transcribed and coded utilizing a performance, personality, and physicality taxonomy resulting in 5937 phrases attributed to 547 players. Results indicate that those with aligned birth countries and WBC teams were depicted more positively with a higher rate of comments about their talent, experience, and composure. Those with misaligned teams and nationalities were described in greater detail regarding their backgrounds and connection to their WBC team. U.S.-born players representing a different country received significantly more comments pertaining to their U.S. roots; the reverse was true for those born abroad as their birth countries were more often referenced when they aligned with their WBC team thus suggesting a degree of in- and out-grouping by the commentators. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-06T11:40:44Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241237230
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Authors:Peter Mikuláš, Alice Nemcova Tejkalova Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. In this paper we focus on the posthumous media image of the deceased professional ice hockey player Pavol Demitra. He was a world-famous athlete, starring in both the NHL and KHL, but this paper primarily focuses on his fame in Slovakia, his native country. Demitra became a legend in his own lifetime, but his story only gained its true shape after he had died. The media played a dominant role in this deeper reflection of Demitra’s life. First, we monitored the Slovak media in the ten years following his tragic death. Next, we focused on the quantitative analysis of two categories, heroism and cultural and societal overlaps, which formed the basis of Demitra’s fame legacy. Through our third step, a qualitative frame analysis, we demonstrated how the media dealt with athlete’s framing. The results showed how Demitra was put on a pedestal and, in some aspects, immortalized as a divine, heroic statue made of marble. At the same time, his legacy has continued thanks to his son Lucas, a successful athlete, keeping the name alive. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-06T11:30:08Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241235085
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Authors:Caroline Soble, Mark Lowes Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This paper explores how narrative storytelling converts individuals into sport fans. Data were collected through content analysis of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Rhetorical criticism was applied to narrative elements identified in this popular docuseries. The conceptual framework drew from existing theories to detail how narrative storytelling effectively engages audiences and facilitates information exchange to achieve sport fandom. Findings show that the main narrative elements used in Drive to Survive were the plot types of adventure, ascension/descension, rivalry, and sacrifice, as well as the character type of hero. These narrative elements fostered sport fan conversion by providing multiple opportunities for information exchange, emotional connection, and inter-fan relationships. Ultimately, this study provides insight into conversion-through-narrative, strengthening the theoretical link between narrative storytelling and sport fandom by examining how narrative elements function in a successful case of sport fan conversion. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-03-06T11:30:04Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241238158
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Authors:Walker J. Ross, Michael Pfahl, Sylvia Trendafilova Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This study examined the seasonal sustainability reporting of Formula E for its content, variation, and linearity. Formula E was chosen since it was built as a sustainable sport enterprise rather than one which integrated sustainability into existing operations and for the accessibility of its annual sustainability reports. Using an exploratory approach for content and variation, and the Green Waves of sport sustainability for linearity, eight seasons of sustainability reports from Formula E were collected and examined via content analysis. Findings revealed the major content areas for Formula E concerned event management, car design, and community engagement with these initiatives classified as internal or external efforts. Reports were inconsistent in their structure, language, scope, and focus. The Green Waves suggest that while some efforts progress, others may regress according to strategy or the initiative’s life cycle. Formula E is progressing overall in their sustainability efforts, but exemplifies the lack of an end point to sustainability efforts. It is suggested that better coordination could yield higher strategic success and recognition. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-02-21T06:55:11Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241233558
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Authors:Kevin Hull Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. For decades, one of the most recognizable public faces of a local television news station was the sports anchor. However, as newsrooms across the United States struggle with employee burnout, sports departments have not been immune to low job satisfaction and high turnover. The purpose of this study is to examine what factors are causing sportscasters at local television stations to leave the profession. A survey of sports broadcasters who had left their positions at a television station for a job outside of broadcasting revealed that they felt overworked and underpaid, and many placed the blame for their problems directly on newsroom management. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-02-21T06:12:14Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241234822
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Authors:Adam Ehsan Ali Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. In 2016, Canada sports broadcaster TSN aired a documentary, Radical Play, which focuses on the players of football team Diverse City FC, many of whom are Muslim and wear hijabs. As posited in the documentary, following the lifting of FIFA’s ban on the wearing of the hijab, soccer became the women’s vehicle for gaining more confidence and agency, which they use to become social media “crusaders” who fight the online radicalization of girls and women. Utilizing theories of gendered Orientalism, I analyze Radical Play by exploring how Muslim sportswomen are constructed in relation to sport, radicalization, and empowerment. I argue that Radical Play frames Diverse City FC’s story through Western rescue discourses and construct a modernizing process where Muslim girls are said to be empowered by the power of Western sport. The constructed transformation of the women into radicalization informants that keep their communities’ safe acts as a preferred outcome of colonial benevolence and acceptance towards “development subjects.” While the main narrative of Radical Play is leveraged by gendered forms of Orientalism, a critical reading shows how the players voices create cracks in this overarching story that help unsettle dominant understandings of Muslim sportswomen. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-02-12T06:59:43Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241233557
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Authors:Claire V. Wanzer, Emily J. Pfender, Nicole P. Travis, Amy Bleakley Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. The following study applies the framework of self-presentation theory to examine one year of posts (n = 1064) from the TikTok and Instagram accounts of 18 highly marketable NCAA athletes. A content analysis was used to examine differences by platform, gender, and content type following the approval of NIL compensation for collegiate athletes. Findings revealed significant differences between male and female athletes regarding the type of content posted, prevalent self-presentation themes, and engagement. Male athletes were found to post more frontstage athletic performance content and backstage marketable lifestyle content than female athletes. In contrast, female athletes posted more backstage content in the attractive appearance category, which also was the category with the highest engagement from audiences. Additionally frontstage content in athletic performance content categories was more prevalent on Instagram, while backstage content appeared more frequently on TikTok. These findings advance our understanding of athletes’ social media platform use and are in line with traditional media presentations of gender and sport. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-02-08T08:06:02Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241232404
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Authors:Harrison J. LeJeune, Téwodros W. Workneh Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This study examines the tensions in the representations of human rights discourses in the context of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Primarily drawing from postcolonial approaches, it investigates how the construction of human rights narratives were deployed by two leading publications representing US (The New York Times—NYT) and Qatari (Gulf Times—GT) viewpoints. In doing so, the study probes the representation and self-portrayal of Qatari cultural, political, and socio-economic repertoire by the NYT and GT, respectively. Results from a qualitative content analysis highlight how the NYT emphasized the exotic Otherness of Qatar and its supposed inability-cum-illegitimacy to host the tournament. Alternatively, GT demonstrated a paradoxical disdain and desire for Western validation. Overall, the narratives in the NYT and GT tell a story of an ambivalent relationship between the West and Qatar situated in the historical context of colonialism and reflective of the ongoing, reciprocal dialogue between publications targeting English speaking audiences. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-02-07T04:30:05Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241230849
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Authors:Claudia Kozman, Lanfu (Randolph) Liu Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This study examines journalistic role performance in sports news in five Arab countries in relation to country, geographic frame, platforms, and sources. The comparative content analysis of three journalistic roles – loyal-facilitator, watchdog, and infotainment – in Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) relies on 874 sports news stories from 40 print, broadcast, and online outlets, sampled in 2020 through a constructed, two-week stratified-systematic approach. Results point to variations in all roles as a function of some predictors more than others. Specifically, the UAE tended to be the most loyal/cheerleader, whereas Qatar led in the infotainment role. Loyalty was also apparent across the region in domestic news that was more loyalist than foreign news. Sources mattered in that political sources tended to predict higher levels of loyalist content, while sports sources did not have any impact on any role. Sources’ viewpoint of diversity, on the other hand, revealed multiple perspectives to be associated with more infotainment and watchdog content. The results indicate the loyalist cheerleader role that sports journalists in the West have been associated with for decades also applies to the Arab region, suggesting sports journalists behave in a similar manner irrespective of their country of origin. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-02-03T02:45:25Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241231004
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Authors:Kenon A. Brown, Joshua R. Jackson, Mackenzie Quick, Vernon Ray Harrison Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. When considering that athletes are becoming more vocal about their beliefs related to social justice initiatives, the role of an athlete’s gender could have an impact on how sports fans view that athlete. When deciding to support or oppose a corporate social advocacy initiative, it can be argued that an individual’s perception of an athlete’s or team’s stance towards social justice can be influenced by elements of one’s social identity. Therefore, the current study expands on this idea by exploring how gender affects the perception of the credibility of an athlete as an endorser of CSA initiatives, considering both the gender of the participant and the gender of the athlete. Using both NBA and WNBA athletes, this experiment manipulates a league CSA initiative and players’ endorsements of the initiative to determine if (a) the participant’s reported gender and (b) the athlete’s gender will impact the perception of the athlete’s credibility. Results provided evidence that gender plays a significant role in that evaluation, such that the NBA player was perceived as more credible regardless of respondent gender, and while female respondents recorded no difference, male participants perceived the NBA player as more credible than his WNBA counterpart. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-25T04:47:50Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241227764
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Authors:Umer Hussain, Steve Bien-Aimé Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. In the extant scholarship, there remains a paucity of research underscoring how Western media frame the identity of Muslim men athletes from diverse backgrounds who challenge the colonial sporting institution (e.g., cricket) with the allegation of racism. There is also a significant lacuna in literature exploring how the identity of a Muslim man athlete is shaped in Eastern media, ensuing his racial accusations against a Western sporting institution. This study aimed to analyze the media’s depiction of Azeem Rafiq after his racism allegations against Yorkshire Cricket Club, contrasting British and South Asian perspectives through neo-Orientalism and postcolonial theory within media framing scholarship. We analyzed data through textual and thematic analysis. The study results unearth that while Rafiq was heralded as a voice against racism by the British media, some media outlets focused on the narratives of exoticism, otherness, and the mysterious “Orient” while discussing Rafiq’s personality. Further, some Pakistani and Indian media outlets portrayed the Western world as a monolithic entity. The study findings also uncovered that numerous times, the Club’s sponsors’ responses were framed within financial and administrative narratives, often overshadowing the underlying issue of structural racism. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-22T02:08:15Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241229624
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Authors:Shana Makos, Charee M. Thompson Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Despite robust literature concerning the illness disclosure decision making process, it remains unclear how individuals choose to reveal and conceal non-visible health conditions in group exercise. At the intersection of non-visible illness management and group exercise, the purpose of this study is to apply communication privacy management theory (CPM) to better understand the core and catalyst criteria athletes with non-visible health conditions utilize when determining whether to reveal or conceal their conditions in the context of the CrossFit gym. CrossFit is an international fitness program with more than 14,000 affiliate gyms in more than 155 countries. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 CrossFit athletes. Findings indicate that core criteria prompted athletes to conceal because of identity and stigma threats but reveal as a way to break the stigma and advocate for themselves and others. Catalyst criteria shaped athletes’ disclosure decisions in two ways, including concealing to avoid burdening others and revealing to foster relationships. Implications for both theory and practice are discussed. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-20T11:42:56Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241228386
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Authors:Jing Zhang, Danning Zhang, Guangquan Dai Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. E-sports events play a crucial role as significant entertainment activities and platforms for emotional interaction among the public. This study seeks to delve into the processes underlying the emotional experiences of online spectators during interactive rituals within e-sports events. It employs the core concept of emotional energy within interaction ritual chains as framework for analysis. To accomplish this, we conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 20 online spectators actively engaged in the League of Legends professional league. These interviews specifically targeted their emotions, feelings, evaluations, behaviors, and other relevant experiences both preceding, during, and subsequent to spectating. Our analysis revealed four distinct stages within the emotional energy change process: emotional arousal, immersion, climax, and continuity. These stages collectively culminate in the formulation of a dynamic, continuous, and cyclical emotional energy model. Notably, spectators adeptly employ various emotional regulation strategies to mitigate the impact of disruptive factors. The integration of ritual symbols, coupled with the positive feedback loop of emotional energy, serves to connect the five identified stages and establish a cohesive cyclic upward mechanism. These findings not only offer unique insights into the micro-level emotional experiences of online spectators but also hold practical implications for the effective management of e-sports events. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-17T09:36:22Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241227771
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Authors:Vincent Peña, Mary Angela Bock Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Sports scholars have long studied how stereotypes pervade sports. However, little if any of this research has examined the origins of these stereotypes and how they influence journalistic practice. This study explores sports journalists’ work routines, their perception of stereotypes in sports, and whether there is a connection between the two. The authors conduct a critical discourse analysis of in-depth interviews with 13 sports journalists from across the U.S. Results show that journalists are (sometimes) aware of stereotypes, downplay their role in perpetuating them, and engage in color-blind rhetoric about the prevalence of stereotypes in sports media coverage of college sports. Additionally, the sports journalists interviewed as part of this study outlined the various constraints on their jobs that might impact their ability to establish rapport with athletes, which might result in an increased likelihood of the perpetuation of stereotypes. The findings underscore the need for more scholarly inquiry about sports press conferences and the connection between journalistic practice and ideology, particularly as it relates to race. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-11T04:21:23Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795241226694
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Authors:L. Dugan Nichols Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Alternative media enable marginalized people to voice their experiences, challenge dominant ideologies, and circumvent mainstream gatekeepers. Podcasts are an alternative medium that can be counterhegemonic, foregrounding such issues as antiracism, Indigeneity, LGBTQ rights, socialism, and workers’ perspectives. This article expands on alternative-media research by transporting it to the skateboarding subculture. I first depict the skateboard outlets Thrasher Magazine (1981) and The Berrics (2007) website as hegemonic and mainstream. By contrast, I depict podcasts The Bunt (2016) and Vent City (2019) as counterhegemonic and alternative. I then ask: To what degree do skate podcasts acknowledge professional skateboarders as workers' And: Do such shows allow skaters to express grievances with their industry' A discourse analysis of Thrasher and The Berrics demonstrates that they often mystify freelance work, class, and skaters’ working conditions. An analysis of The Bunt and Vent City suggests that podcasts offer unique and radical perspectives, though attention to working conditions is uneven. I find there may be too much overlap between the case studies for an alternative/mainstream distinction to be meaningful. Political currents within skateboarding are still promising, however, and digital media will be essential in making the subculture and industry more inclusive. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-08T03:05:53Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795231223396
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Authors:Joshua Woods, Leah Oldham, Stephanie House-Niamke, Matthew Hartwell Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. Social media provides athletes with opportunities to enhance their personal brands, engage with fans, and access professional opportunities. Several studies have examined how athletes use social media to attract and engage large audiences. Less is known about the social forces that enable and constrain their popularity. Drawing on expectation states theory, this study considers how athletes’ social status affects their follower counts and engagement rates on Instagram. Based on a content analysis of 6240 images posted on Instagram by 112 professional disc golfers, we show that the gender, sport dominance, and physical attractiveness of athletes affect their popularity, controlling for their strategic efforts to self-brand. These findings offer new insight into the ongoing debate over social media’s impact on long-standing inequalities in the media-sport industry. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-05T05:23:57Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795231225620
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Authors:Yilei Wang, Dezheng (William) Feng, Hua Wang Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. The paper examines the construction of China’s country image in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. It demonstrates how a country that has no winter sports tradition used the mega-event to showcase its national narrative and to promote winter sports industries. A semiotic framework is developed to model China’s country image as evaluative attributes and to elucidate how they are constructed through linguistic and visual resources in the theater, livestream, and video inserts. The analysis shows that the ceremony was narrated around four major themes—the world’s China, People’s China, the aesthetic China, and the modernized China. Instead of revealing a changeless, nostalgic and mythical China that speaks to a Western orientalistic imagination, these four themes work together to reshape a modern China identity, which brings the contrasting values of globalism, nationalism, Chinese traditional aesthetics, and neoliberalism into a coherent artistic performance. The characteristics of nation branding discourse reflect China’s urban regeneration policies on the one hand, and public diplomacies during the COVID-19 pandemic on the other. Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-04T11:50:59Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795231225202
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Authors:Kaja Poteko Abstract: Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print. This article provides an overview and analysis of how the study of sport at the intersection with the media has developed in the Slovenian context over the last three decades. The first part of the article briefly explains the importance and role of sport and media in the broader social context. By looking in particular at sports journalism and introducing the Slovenian context, the purpose of the study is clarified. The second part identifies and reviews all academic research contributions published on the highlighted intersection and during the selected period. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the most frequently addressed aspects of the sports media system, the main research topics identified and the media outlets studied, the main findings are summarized and highlighted. While studies addressing different aspects of nationality predominate, attention to gendered nationalism is highlighted as particularly valuable in the context of studies focusing on gender and its intersections. Event-oriented and decontextualized sports content is problematized in the context of recent studies focusing on some aspects of sports journalism. In the final section of the article, some guidelines are formulated to encourage further research in (and of) this geographical area (and beyond). Citation: Communication & Sport PubDate: 2024-01-03T04:57:56Z DOI: 10.1177/21674795231223392