Media Sport and Sport Communication

The Media Sport and Sport Communication Interest Group is dedicated to the study of sport as a communicative phenomenon. The interest group shall provide a forum in which scholars interested in the field of sport communication can engage in dialogue. The group encompasses a broad range of methods, theories, and contexts all of which are united around an interest in the communicative aspects of sports. Academics are the group’s primary audience. However, practitioners at all levels of practice within the field of (professional) sport communication are welcome to join.

Sport communication as a research field covers all aspects of enacting, (re)producing, consuming and organizing sport. Media sport can be defined as the result of cultural fusion of sport with communication. Research concerning media sport primarily focusses on (professional) sport produced for large scale audiences and therefore on certain divisions of top level sports. Scholarship in sport communication and media sport is not limited to mass communication or mediated communication. Interpersonal and organizational communication have their place as well.

The group meets annually in order to foster mutual exchange of ideas and to present research and findings related to media sport and sport communication. The meeting is open for any academic inquiry regarding sport communication without any restrictions in terms of theory, method or perspective of the research. To ensure high quality research, all submissions pass through double-blind peer-reviews before being accepted for presentation at the meeting.

The group also aims to exchange information about academic teaching in the field of sport communication and to promote its integration in university curricula of communication and media studies. Members are furthermore regularly informed about the ongoing activities of the group and the German Communication Association as a whole. This also includes information about academic events of related associations. In order to develop relations with other divisions of the German Communication Association or other academic associations that are active in related fields, the group welcomes joint division meetings.

Chair: Holger Ihle (hihle@phil.uni-duesseldorf.de)

Vice Chair: Jörg-Uwe Nieland (joerg-uwe.nieland@gmx.net)