The goal of this special issue is to investigate the current state of social and new-media networking in sport communication today. The rapid spread of Internet-based technology over the past decade has drastically altered the nature of sport communication. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and a variety of other media have opened up numerous avenues for important scholarly inquiry. This special issue stands as the first major collection of sport-focused new-media scholarship. It features 16 scholars from 10 universities and examines several types of new media in various frameworks. This issue not only will serve as a resource for current research in new media but will also spur additional research in this dynamic area of study.
The
International Journal of Sport Communication (IJSC) provides a platform for the dissemination of research and information on the unique aspects and divergent activities associated with sport communication. Although many journals cover a single aspect of sport and communication,
IJSC is the first to provide an all-encompassing view of the field by covering any topic related to communication in sport, through sport, or in a sport setting. This rigorously reviewed quarterly journal features quantitative and qualitative articles, including cutting-edge research, case studies, and editorials. For more information, visit
www.IJSC-Journal.com.
Industry Interview
Digital-Branding and Social-Media Strategies for Professional Athletes, Sports Teams, and Leagues: An Interview With Digital Royalty’s Amy Martin
Khalid Ballouli and Michael Hutchinson
Original Research
User- Versus Mainstream-Media-Generated Content: Media Source, Message Valence, and Team Identification and Sport Consumers’ Response
Dae Hee Kwak, Yu Kyoum Kim, and Matthew H. Zimmerman
Meeting Relationship-Marketing Goals Through Social Media: A Conceptual Model for Sport Marketers
Jo Williams and Susan J. Chinn
Framing Tiger’s Troubles: Comparing Traditional and Social Media
Jimmy Sanderson
Understanding Professional Athletes’ Use of Twitter: A Content Analysis of Athlete Tweets
Marion E. Hambrick, Jason M. Simmons, Greg P. Greenhalgh, and T. Christopher Greenwell
Paradigm Shift or Passing Fad? Twitter and Sports Journalism
Mary Lou Sheffer and Brad Schultz
Uses and Gratifications of a Retired Female Athlete’s Twitter Followers
Galen Clavio and Ted Kian
Case Study
Look Who’s Talking—Athletes on Twitter: A Case Study
Ann Pegoraro