{"title":"Examining Discussions Related to Transgender Athletes on Twitter: The Role of Negative Emotion on Message Engagement","authors":"Christopher Calabrese, Xudong Yu, Yoo Jung Oh","doi":"10.1177/21674795241265969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241265969","url":null,"abstract":"Several states have enacted laws prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in sports that align with their gender identity. The present study seeks to explore the role of negative emotions and their relation to the rise of online discussions surrounding transgender athletes. We examined whether posts expressing anger and fear impacted message engagement through capturing all related posts ( N = 658,207) from September 2017 to September 2022. To determine the stance of tweets that expressed negative emotion, we then conducted a quantitative content analysis of posts expressing anger and fear. Overall, we find that posts expressing anger were associated with increased message engagement, while fear was associated with decreased engagement. Our content analysis revealed that tweets expressing either negative emotion were both in support and in opposition of issues related to transgender athletes. While it may appear that users hold a predominantly negative view towards the topic of transgender athletes due to expressed anger and fear, our study reveals they may in fact have a more diverse range of perspectives on these related issues. Practical implications are discussed.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142130630","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":"Displaced and Diminished: How the Placemaking Value of “Being there” Influences Play-By-Play Broadcasters’ Professional Identity","authors":"Brian A. Petrotta, Travis R. Bell, Lindsey Meeks","doi":"10.1177/21674795241279588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241279588","url":null,"abstract":"Play-by-play (PxP) broadcasters’ routines and professions are in a state of flux. Even before COVID-19 protocols disrupted PxPs’ professional practices, broadcast networks tried to reduce on-site staff to cut costs. After COVID, some teams and networks opted to not send PxPs on the road while others experimented with artificial intelligence or alternative telecasts (e.g., the “Manningcast”). Whereas alternative broadcasts create innovative entertainment, PxPs continue to serve an important and distinct role in sports broadcasts, and often act as the link between teams, fans, and other stakeholders. Interviews with 15 professional PxPs revealed that placemaking processes are a key element of their professional identity. Displacement during the pandemic led to shortterm, yet rapid changes, and potentially long-term effects on their profession. We found that while our study’s timeframe enabled a dissection of pandemic-related obstacles, it ultimately articulated PxPs’ professional uniqueness and speaks to how placemaking influences PxPs’ professional identity. Constraints stemming from COVID-19 protocols reinforced that physical proximity is paramount to the PxP profession, and while temporary shocks can be absorbed, prolonged changes to foundational aspects could negatively alter the profession and those it serves.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142130621","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}
Javier A. Sánchez-Torres, Carolina López Correa, Francisco-Javier Arroyo-Cañada, Ana Argila-Irurita, Fátima Vila-Márquez
{"title":"Analysing Credibility of Femvertising Campaigns: A Focus on Colombian Female Athletes","authors":"Javier A. Sánchez-Torres, Carolina López Correa, Francisco-Javier Arroyo-Cañada, Ana Argila-Irurita, Fátima Vila-Márquez","doi":"10.1177/21674795241278742","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241278742","url":null,"abstract":"Advertising campaigns featuring female athletes have gained significant importance given the positive implications of gender equality, female empowerment and modern social dynamics, in which women play a crucial role, especially in Western societies. However, advertising campaigns in which female athletes are visible can be perceived by the public as false, sometimes known as woman-washing. This study explores the perception of woman-washing in femvertising-type campaigns—that is, those focused on female athletes. An empirical model is proposed and tested with partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results validate all the hypotheses, demonstrating that factors such as the public’s identification with the athlete, the fit between the athlete and the brand, and brand positioning are of great importance for the credibility of the campaign. The contributions of this paper are novel for sports marketing, femvertising and the planning of advertising campaigns.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142123486","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":"Representatives, Reflection, Roles, and Responsibilities: The Metajournalistic Discourse on the Press Boycott of Naomi Osaka","authors":"Lena Maria Küpper","doi":"10.1177/21674795241267948","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241267948","url":null,"abstract":"Metajournalism is the term used in communication science to describe the public discussion of journalism. Studies on how reflexive reporting occurs in sports journalism are rare, which is surprising considering the close sports media intertwining. When tennis player Naomi Osaka declared her intention to skip press conferences during the 2021 French Open to raise awareness of the psychological pressures placed on elite athletes, this triggered a sports-related metajournalistic discourse. This study provides a systematic description of this discourse using a qualitative content analysis of 102 online articles in quality, tabloid and sports media. Only minimal self-criticism was found, and journalists primarily attributed the responsibility for the topic of mental health to the system of competitive sports. Unsurprisingly, there are significant differences in the quality and quantity of reporting in the various genres. In every form of media, Osaka’s own representation occupies a significant amount of space. All media genres have a tendency to portray the arguments of non-media representatives, especially those from the tennis world, rather than articulate their own perspectives. This study contributes to the understanding of public negotiation processes regarding roles and responsibilities in sports journalism.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142084705","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}
Gregory A. Cranmer, Emma G. Cox, Rikishi T. Rey, Blair Browning, Leland G. Holbert
{"title":"Effects of Cohesion With Teammates on Division-I Student-Athletes’ Mental Health: An Application of the Human Need to Belong and Transactional Stress Frameworks","authors":"Gregory A. Cranmer, Emma G. Cox, Rikishi T. Rey, Blair Browning, Leland G. Holbert","doi":"10.1177/21674795241267197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241267197","url":null,"abstract":"Collegiate student-athletes are experiencing an ongoing mental health epidemic, especially concerning anxiety and depression. This study builds upon the meta-theory of the human need to belong and the transactional theory of stress and coping by framing stress as a mediator for the benefits of cohesion between teammates on mental health. Data from 121 Division-I student-athletes demonstrated a fully mediated model whereby task cohesion indirectly benefited anxiety and depression through lower stress levels. Social cohesion, however, was not significantly associated with either stress or anxiety and depression. These findings underscore teammate relationships are appraised as social stimuli and that the lack of shared task approaches and understandings among teammates can be distressing and detract from general well-being. Coaches, athletic departments, and other academic stakeholders may use this information to guide their efforts to lower student-athlete stress through their social relationships with others. This aim can become an emphasis on pre-season training, team meetings, and athlete check-ins.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142084704","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":"Determinants of Online Live Esports Viewership With Advanced Data: The Case of League of Legends Champions Korea","authors":"Yoonji Ryu, Jaehyun Jeong, Wonseok Jang, Gyemin Lee, Hyunwoong Pyun","doi":"10.1177/21674795241277051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241277051","url":null,"abstract":"With the rapid advancement of technology, esports have become more accessible and widespread on online platforms. The behavior of fans watching live broadcasts online differs from that of those watching on TV or attending stadium events. To understand the online demand for esports, this study examines the determinants of live esports viewership using advanced data from online platforms. We examined game-level data from the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) from the summer of 2019 to the summer of 2022. We analyzed four dependent variables representing esports online demands—hours watched, peak views, concurrent average views, and view drops—based on several pre-game (outcome uncertainty and team quality), in-game (game quality and upset result), and schedule-related (evening game) variables. Using two-way least squares dummy variable regression models, we identified the key determinants. The results suggest that outcome uncertainty, team quality, game quality, and evening games significantly impact esports online viewership. In addition, in-game factors, such as the sum and difference in kills between teams, attracted more viewers. This indicates that online viewers prefer games with more kills and a closer kill difference between teams.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142045400","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 Uses and Gratifications-Based Market Segmentation Approach to Football Fans’ Online Media Usage Motivation","authors":"Anina Gächter, Pascal Stegmann, Grazia Lang","doi":"10.1177/21674795241273875","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241273875","url":null,"abstract":"With the rise of online media, the Uses and Gratifications approach has experienced a revival in general as well as in sports media research. However, most studies have not considered the variability in online media usage behavior, which indicates a heterogenity in fans’ gratification sought in online media consumption. To account for this heterogenity, this study conducts a cluster analysis based on the Uses and Gratifications approach to segment Swiss football fans according to their motivations for using online media. Further, it analyses how the emerging motivational profiles differ in online media usage and fan identification. The findings suggest that even though information, positive emotions, and entertainment remain the most sought gratifications across all participants, fans can be segmented into four motivational profiles: Football Afficionados, Casual Users, Joy-Seeking Spenders, and Online Media Enthusiasts. These profiles exhibit significant differences in their online media usage behaviour as well as in their fan identification. They, therefore, indicate a need for market segmentation when analysing online media usage motivation in football fans and demonstrate that clubs can achieve greater customer satisfaction by tailoring their online media content to the needs and online media consumption behaviour of their fans.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142042530","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}
Ever Josue Figueroa, Vincent Peña, Krishnan Vasudevan
{"title":"“The Planet’s Champion” Daniel Bryan: How WWE Uses Sport, Neoliberalism and Colorblind Ideology in Professional Wrestling Narratives","authors":"Ever Josue Figueroa, Vincent Peña, Krishnan Vasudevan","doi":"10.1177/21674795241268130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241268130","url":null,"abstract":"Daniel Bryan’s WWE Championship reign, from November 13, 2018, to April 7, 2019, provides an interesting case study to analyze the intersection of politics, mediated sport, neoliberalism, and colorblind ideology in professional wrestling storylines. This study conducts uses textual analysis to uncover how WWE utilized Bryan’s reign to communicate ideologies in their weekly programming. The findings suggest that Bryan’s persona as a villainous leftist “heel,” symbolically positions left-wing politics as antagonistic to the neoliberal values exercised in sports media. Bryan’s defeat at the hands of African wrestler Kofi Kingston, reifies colorblind ideology and neoliberalism through the aesthetics of mediated sport.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142042531","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}
Peter English, David Fleischman, Rory Mulcahy, Lenny Vance, Aaron Tham, Merryn Sherwood
{"title":"The Buzz of Brisbane 2032: Themes of Online and Social Media Olympic Sentiment","authors":"Peter English, David Fleischman, Rory Mulcahy, Lenny Vance, Aaron Tham, Merryn Sherwood","doi":"10.1177/21674795241266804","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241266804","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141764031","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 Issues for the Ages: Life Span and Career Span Narratives Ingrained in Sports Culture","authors":"Andrew C. Billings, Marie Hardin","doi":"10.1177/21674795241264966","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795241264966","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"102 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141755276","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}