{"title":"Olympics During the Pandemic: Predictors of Olympics Viewing Across Platforms During the Tokyo Games","authors":"T. Tang, R. Cooper","doi":"10.1177/21674795211073811","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211073811","url":null,"abstract":"This research empirically tested the Dynamic Model of Exposure by examining users’ multiplatform exposure during the Tokyo Olympic Games. Findings supported the model, suggesting that Olympics viewing was a dynamic process involving individual preferences and structures. Various preferences and structures combined to explain 37.7% of the variance in viewing the Olympics on television and 48.7% of Olympics viewing via digital streaming. Overall, endogenous preferences provided the largest predictive value, suggesting that pre-Olympic media routines had the most powerful influence on viewing this mega-event on both television and via digital streaming. Variables related to the COVID-19 pandemic showed no significant impact on those who watched the Tokyo Games.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"11 1","pages":"706 - 723"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2022-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47313512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Let’s Watch Live Streaming: How Streamer Credibility Influences Brand Attitude in Esports Streamer Marketing","authors":"Qingru Xu, Hanyoung Kim, A. Billings","doi":"10.1177/21674795211067819","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211067819","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores if and how perceived Esports streamer credibility influences the audience’s attitude toward the brand endorsed by the streamer. Results from a survey conducted with US adults (N = 277) show the significant and positive relationship between streamer credibility and brand attitude while identifying parasocial relationships and streamer loyalty as two factors mediating the impact of streamer credibility on brand attitude. Structural equation modeling analysis is used to reveal how perceived expertise and trustworthiness of an Esports streamer affect viewer attitudes toward the promoted brands, with theoretical and practical implications outlined.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"10 1","pages":"271 - 290"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42630299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Willpower knows no obstacles”: Examining Neoliberal Postfeminist Messaging in Nike’s Transnational Advertisements for Women","authors":"Anna Posbergh, D. L. Andrews, Samuel M. Clevenger","doi":"10.1177/21674795211063537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211063537","url":null,"abstract":"Nike, a US-headquartered transnational corporation lauded for its putatively empowering women-centered advertisements, frequently releases nationally/regionally focused advertisements depicting women determinedly engaging in physical activity and, in doing so, overcoming gendered barriers and stigmas. Indeed, the global ubiquity of the empowered (Nike-clad) woman illustrates Nike’s role in advancing women’s empowerment, both in the US and globally. Universalizing “just do it” beyond geographical borders, Nike’s form of transnational feminism centers on a carefully manufactured, Western-centered image of empowered female athleticism. However, this notably contradicts transnational feminist efforts to reject the universalization of Western-centered representations of women. Using a critical cultural studies approach in concert with a transnational feminist framework, we analyze six recent Nike advertisements (the United States, Mexico, the Middle East, Turkey, India, and Russia) and critique the corporation’s universalization of neoliberal postfeminist messaging within its global marketing strategies. We find that Nike utilizes three thematics to extend their caricature of the (Nike-powered) female athlete beyond the spatial and symbolic borders of the US market: responsibilitization, competitive individualism, and empowerment. We conclude that Nike normalizes a white, Western-centered neoliberal postfeminism, undermining the structural and sporting realities of the non-white/non-Western women their promotional campaigning seeks to embolden.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"11 1","pages":"724 - 743"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48693524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mediatization and Doping: Investigating the Interplay in News Framing of Rider/Doping Suspicion During the Tour de France","authors":"Leah Stanley","doi":"10.1177/21674795211062853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211062853","url":null,"abstract":"Mediatization theory has been used to describe the development of the Tour de France, from its inception as an event created by a newspaper to sell newspapers to the global spectacle it has become. Yet, perhaps the Tour’s most infamous aspect, its historical reputation for doping, is yet to be explored through the lens of mediatization, as both a media and a social issue. Furthermore, that sport media scholars allude to a need for better understanding of media coverage of doping beyond headline-capturing doping scandals, establishes a precedent for the examination and comparison of newspaper framing of Lance Armstrong (2004) and Chris Froome (2017). To do so, this research operationalizes mediatization theory in combination with framing theory to investigate news framing of rider/doping suspicion grounded in the historical context of the event, revealing the interplay between framing of rider/doping suspicion and event mediatization processes.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"10 1","pages":"973 - 1000"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43570065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Burgers, T. van Biemen, Ruben van Eeghen, D. Mann
{"title":"Effects of Communication Style on Competence Evaluations of Soccer Referees: Procedural Versus Relational Framing","authors":"C. Burgers, T. van Biemen, Ruben van Eeghen, D. Mann","doi":"10.1177/21674795211046536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211046536","url":null,"abstract":"Good communication skills are important for soccer referees, but it remains unclear what exactly constitutes good referee communication. In this article, we focus on the role of verbal framing by soccer referees by contrasting the effects of procedural frames (focusing on rules and regulations) and relational frames (focusing on relational aspects) on perceptions of referee competence. We conducted an experiment (N = 97) in which soccer referees used either procedural or relational frames to communicate about different types of in-game situations (yellow card and offside) to players. Results demonstrate that spectator perceptions of impartiality and confidence did not differ depending on the type of frame used. However, relational (vs. procedural) frames did increase spectator perceptions of respectfulness and communication skills. Soccer referees are recommended to use relational over procedural frames when communicating to players during a match.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"11 1","pages":"509 - 527"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2021-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42983248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social Media Education Provided by National Governing Bodies of Sport: An Examination of Practices for Youth Olympic Games and Olympic Games Athletes","authors":"Andrea N. Geurin","doi":"10.1177/21674795211053627","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211053627","url":null,"abstract":"Social media provides athletes with many opportunities as well as challenges. Scholars have argued for proactive, educational social media training instead of traditional policy and punishment models, yet research on this topic is limited. Therefore, this study sought to understand the social media training/education national governing bodies (NGBs) provided to athletes ranging from Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to Olympic level, and to examine NGB communication employees’ perceptions regarding athletes’ social media use and their organization’s social media training. Utilizing uses and gratifications theory, a sequential mixed method was employed involving a survey of U.S. NGBs and in-depth interviews with NGB communication personnel. While most NGBs used proactive, educational social media training for Olympic athletes, few did the same for YOG athletes. NGB employees felt social media use posed significant benefits or gratifications to athletes, and education and training helped to enhance those benefits as well as minimize the challenges, or failed gratifications, athletes experience on social media.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"11 1","pages":"238 - 264"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2021-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45203122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Celebrating a Decade of Intellectual Development—and a Vision for the Future of Communication and Sport","authors":"A. Billings, Marie Hardin","doi":"10.1177/21674795211055516","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211055516","url":null,"abstract":"We are committing a cardinal sin in the sports world. They say you should never follow the legend, as the comparison will inevitably prove unflattering. Yet, as we take over as co-editors of Communication & Sport from its founding editor, Lawrence Wenner, we seek to build from the strong foundation he laid over his 10 years at the helm. Of course, both of us served as Associate Editors over this time period, so we have witnessed the growth of this journal to the place it now occupies: a PROSE award for best new social science journal along with a growth in submissions (over 200 per year), published pages (over 1000 per year). and the impact factor (currently 3.178) and rankings. Thus, we see our goal as one of expansion more than reinvention, refining more than rebuilding. The journal’s vision keeps expanding, and we are honored to be along for the ride. The journal also enjoys relationships with three key communication associations: the International Association for Communication and Sport (IACS), the International Communication Association (ICA), and the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). Each entity occupies a unique yet complimentary space in the development of communication and sport, and we will depend on each to promote and expand the vision of what this journal can accomplish. New editors are often queried about editorial vision. Particularly in co-editing situations, questions also arise about the division of roles and potentially differing priorities of the co-editors. While we bring different skill sets and epistemologies to the fore, we also fortunately share a common conceptualization for our roles as co-editors.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"10 1","pages":"3 - 5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2021-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42289726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Just How They Drew It Up: How In-House Reporters Fit Themselves Into the Sports Media System","authors":"Michael Mirer","doi":"10.1177/21674795211049412","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211049412","url":null,"abstract":"This paper explores how in-house sports reporters—those who write for team- and league-branded websites—locate themselves within the sports media production complex. It builds from perspectives on professionalism that view it as a dynamic process of defining boundaries and building relationships between systemic stakeholders. The interview data presented here find that in-house reporters accentuate professional similarities to beat reporters and use this identity to build unique roles in sports organizations’ corporate structures. This push to define themselves as a distinct job category within the constellation of sports media professions speaks to the active work occupational groups engage in, and is reshaping the media system. The paper argues for a broader reconsideration of professional definitions, actors, and relationships within the sports media system as digital technology and other changes have altered preexisting relationships.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"10 1","pages":"438 - 455"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2021-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44948882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Magic “Bullet”: Exploring Sport Fan Usage of On-Screen, Ephemeral Posts During Live Stream Sessions","authors":"B. Li, M. Naraine, Liang Zhao, Chenyang Li","doi":"10.1177/21674795211038949","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211038949","url":null,"abstract":"The bullet-screen function is an augmented comment feature that has been adopted by the majority of Over-the-Top (OTT) services to foster users’ interaction and watching experience. This feature empowers sports customers to post and view numerous, short, and fast-moving comments that overlap over the screen while watching live stream sports events in real time. This research aims to investigate how sports fans embrace the bullet-screen feature while watching live stream sports. Through a combination of thematic analyzing bullet-screen comments from a National Basketball Association Finals game, and semi-structured interviews among bullet-screen users (N = 15), the results indicate that sport fans’ bullet-screen messages could be classified into five categories: critical commentary, socialization, supportive interactions, random messages, and trash talk. Four motives for sports fans to engage with bullet-screen posting were identified: entertainment, gathering information, interaction, and finding belonging. The study also showed that the inappropriateness of comments and too much overlay on the screen could prevent sports fans from utilizing the service. Theoretical and practical implications have also been discussed.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"11 1","pages":"334 - 355"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2021-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45284651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sports Newsrooms Versus In-House Media: Cheerleading and Critical Reporting in News and Match Coverage","authors":"P. English","doi":"10.1177/21674795211043105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211043105","url":null,"abstract":"The mediatization of sport has created a rise in sports organisations expanding their media presence through digital platforms. However, the often-opposing ambitions of in-house media and sports journalism newsrooms highlight a contest over boundaries. This article examines how the mediatization of sport has impacted on content in in-house and traditional newsrooms and whether it is more aligned with journalism or public relations. The study analyses the coverage of both news and match reporting in six newspaper websites and five national sports organisation websites in Australia. The qualitative analysis is based on a sample of 466 text-based stories and focuses predominantly on elements of critical reporting and cheerleading. The findings outline how mediatization of sport through in-house publications is changing the boundaries of sports media and sports journalism. There were often strong divisions between the coverage in the sports organisations and news publications, with the in-house titles usually the more promotional, positive and less critical.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"10 1","pages":"854 - 871"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2021-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48879133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}