Lauren M. Burch

Kissing in the Carnage: An Examination of Framing on Twitter During the Vancouver Riots

This study examines the frames found on Twitter during the Vancouver riots on June 15, 2011. A textual analysis was employed, and resulted in the identification of 5 frames: fandom, riot propagation, global perspectives, shame on Vancouver, and real fans vs. idiots. The identification of these frames illustrated Twitters role as a source of news and information, and also an outlet for shaping public opinion and cultural perception. Twitter provided the opportunity to counter public perceptions of Canadian hockey fans and the rioters through displays of dissociation, embarrassment, remorse, and comparisons to substantial global events of political unrest.

A Shift in Set Examining the Presence of Agenda Setting on Twitter During the 2012 London Olympics

The purpose of this study was to determine whether agenda setting was present on Twitter during the 2012 London Olympics. In order to analyze the presence of agenda setting, tweets from the @London2012 account and tweets containing #London2012 were analyzed. The @London2012 account served as the news outlet, while tweets containing #London2012 served as the unit of analysis to determine whether agenda setting was present. A content analysis of these tweets revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of tweet focus, sports mentioned, and countries mentioned, suggesting no agenda setting presence on Twitter. Additionally, the primary affiliation of individuals utilizing #London2012 was laypeople, which aligned with previous Twitter-specific research. The implications of these and other findings will be discussed further.

Strategic Use of Facebook to Build Brand Awareness: A Case Study of Two National Sport Organizations

Social media provides a strategic means for non-profit organizations to build and maintain strong relationships with consumers. The purpose of this study was to apply branding theory and frameworks to the use of Facebook by National Olympic Committees in two countries, Australia and Canada over specific time periods related to three Olympics Games. These Facebook pages were examined to determine the types of brand-related post content and communication style utilized as well as the consumer response to these posts. The two organizations generally used Facebook to broadcast product related brand attributes such as information about athletes and teams. There was also a significant difference in Facebook post use and focus by two organizations indicating some international differences in using Facebook for branding a sport organization. The results also provide practical implications for non-profit sport organizations using Facebook to build positive brand images, promote fan engagement and ultimately create brand ambassadors.

Echo or organic: framing the 2014 Sochi Games

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to perform a comparative analysis of how traditional media and social media framed the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games. Design/methodology/approach The researchers examined newspaper articles pertaining to the Sochi Olympics and Tweets containing #SochiProblems to determine if differences or overlap existed in terms of themes and frames. A thematic analysis was conducted with the qualitative software Leximancer. Findings An analysis of 2,856 newspaper articles and 497,743 Tweets revealed three frames across the two media platforms including: the setting, the politics, and the games. There was both a divergence and convergence of content. While there was an echo chamber in terms of discussions regarding political controversies, organic content related to conditions and accommodations existed primarily on Twitter. Originality/value This study sought to investigate whether organic content on Twitter could withstand the transference of sentiments that emerge in traditional media. This study adds to the current body of the literature by examining whether there is a convergence or divergence of content across media platforms pertaining to an international sporting event.

Agenda-setting and La Copa Mundial: marketing through agenda-setting on soccer blogs during the 2010 World Cup.

Media coverage for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa included US-based sports television network ESPN. Along with its television coverage, ESPN’s website featured two blogs, specifically dedicated to the coverage of the 2010 World Cup. However, ESPN was not the only online outlet covering the event. Therefore, using agenda-setting theory, this study attempted to determine if the nature of World Cup coverage differed significantly between

Comparing American soccer dialogues: social media commentary Surrounding the 2014 US men’s and 2015 US women’s World Cup teams

Abstract Mega sporting events such as the World Cup have been found to stimulate categorization of in-groups and out-groups among fans. While self-categorization correlates with gender, the sport of soccer also facilitates nationalistic categorization. The World Cup features nation vs. nation competition while making gender a non-variable as the men and women compete in separate tournaments in separate years. This study examined 33,529 tweets illustrating social media match commentary involving US teams and opponents on Twitter during the 2014 and 2015 World Cups. Results revealed US teams were more likely to be described in regard to attributions of success and failure, while opposition teams were more likely to receive personal and physical attributions. Conversely, no differences were found between US Men’s and Women’s teams in regard to characterizations of success and failure, but revealed the Women’s team was more likely to receive personal and physical characterizations.

Legends Worthy of Lament: An Analysis of Self-Presentation and User Framing on the Legends Football League's Facebook Page

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how the Legends Football League (LFL) was utilizing Facebook as a platform for self-presentation via text and photos and to determine how individuals were framing the LFL via comments made to posts on the LFLs Facebook page. A mixed-methods analysis revealed that the league was presenting itself as a legitimate sporting entity by discussing games, athletes, league partners, and league growth. Photos portrayed athletes as both athletically competent and sexualized. Finally, user comments focused on teams, games, and athletes, with peripheral dialogue sexualizing the athletes. The researchers concluded that while the league strives to revamp its image and maintain a level of legitimacy and spectacle, the sexualized portrayal of its athletes undermines this attempt.

Social Media Usage in Nonprofit Wrestling Organizations: A Cross-Platform Analysis

ABSTRACT This case study examined the social media use of USA Wrestling during the 2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Wrestling Championships in the United States. We performed a cross-platform content analysis of the organization’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram accounts during the 3 days of the event using a relationship-marketing framework. In addition, we conducted qualitative interviews with employees involved with the National Governing Body’s social media implementation. Results indicated predominant use of Twitter and YouTube, with 375 posts occurring during the 3-day event as compared with 8 posts on Facebook and Instagram, cumulatively. Such an approach contradicted interviewees’ responses on the popularity of Facebook. Overall, the organization placed particular emphasis on information-sharing posts across the 4 platforms pertaining to wrestling and athletes during the event. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for wrestling-related organizations.

Stakeholder Engagement With National Governing Bodies Through Social Media: An Insight Into USA Wrestling

This case study examines USA Wrestling’s (USAW) social media use during the 2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Wrestling Championships. During the three days of the event, a cross-platform content analysis of USAW’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram accounts formed the foundation of the case analysis. In addition, real-life qualitative interviews were conducted with employees involved with the national governing body’s (NGB) social media implementation plan. Students will be asked to develop social media-based messaging to reach and engage the NGB’s potential stakeholders, based on USAW’s communication strategy outcomes during the NCAA championships. The case provides students with the opportunity to: (a) analyze nonprofit sport organizations, (b) investigate how communication and marketing efforts differ in a not-for-profit environment, and (c) identify to what extent social media sites provide a cost-effective option to entities of similar status. To further support ...

Media coverage and organizational publicity of the youth olympic games

1. Introduction Part I. The Context of the Youth Olympic Games 2. The Youth Olympic Games and the Philosophy of Olympism 3. The Contemporary Context of Elite Youth Sport Part II. Managing and Delivering the Youth Olympic Games 4. The Bidding Process and Financing the Games 5. The Role and Operation of the Organising Committee 6. Youth Olympic Games Volunteers 7. Athletes, their Families and Sport Officials 8. The Culture and Education Programme 9. The Sports Programme and the Competition Structure 10. Media 11. Marketing, Sponsors and Branding Part III. Impact of the Youth Olympic Games 12. The Singapore YOG: aspirations and impact 13. The Legacies of the Innsbruck Games 14. The Impact on National (Youth) Sport Policy