As the sport communication industry has evolved in the Internet era, so have the positions and job responsibilities for sport communication professionals. It is now a necessity for many new-age journalists and communication professionals to utilize a convergence of media skills in their vocations, such as writing for print, shooting video, blogging, appearing on camera, etc. (Boyle & Whannel, 2010). Moreover, the advent of the Internet and subsequent downfall of more traditional media (e.g., newspapers, magazines) has altered long-standing career-advancement norms in sport communication, enabling some with less experience to quickly ascend to marquee positions while many veterans were laid off over the past 2 decades (Kian & Zimmerman, 2012).
Most published sport communication research over the past 30 years focused on media content. Less scholarship has centered on the media gatekeepers who assign, produce, and edit that content. Furthermore, several of the seminal studies on sport communication professionals were published before the advent of the Internet transformed the industry (e.g., Cramer, 1994; Creedon, 1994; Eberhard & Myers, 1988; Lowes, 1997; Salwen & Garrison, 1998; Theberge & Cronk, 1986). Accordingly, it is past time to dedicate a special issue to sport communication professionals from all types of sport media and public relations. The purpose of this special issue is to focus on the actual sport communication gatekeepers who produce the content that helps shape our opinions and lets us know which sports and athletes are most worthy of public attention.
Submissions are welcome on any analysis related to sport communication professionals, and all types of research are acceptable. Although any topic related to sport communication professionals will be considered, some examples of possible foci, issues, and topical areas include
- Work routines of sport communication professionals from any medium or sector
- Multimedia convergent skills in 21st-century sport communication
- Ethics in sport communication
- The influence of the Internet on the sport communication profession
- Attitudes of sport communication professionals
- Changing roles and definitions of sport media gatekeepers
- Experiences of sport communication professionals
- Effects of the economic recession and corporate consolidation on sport communication professionals
- The impact of sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, etc. on sport communication professionals
- Leadership styles in 21st-century sport communication
Edward (Ted) M. Kian, Ph.D., is the guest editor of this special issue. Dr. Kian can be reached at edward.kian@okstate.edu. To submit a manuscript, however, please go through the regular submission steps found at the IJSC Web site (please see link below). In the cover letter to the IJSC editor (Paul M. Pedersen, Ph.D., Indiana University), simply note that the submission is for the “21st-Century Sport Communication Professionals” special issue.
Deadline for Submissions: July 31, 2013
Publication Issue: 6(4), December 2013
Click here for Submission Guidelines
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