Recent studies have shown an increasing impact of online social networks such as Twitter on sports media. The following study aims to provide insight about communication patterns of athletes during the Olympic Games 2012 in London. Drawing on literature from traditional fields such as social capital (Field 2003), the 'uses and gratifications' approach (Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch 1974), self- presentation (Goffmann 1971) and recent studies about social media in sports (Kassing and Sanderson 2012), a Twitter-analysis of ten athletes was conducted during the Olympic Games 2012 in London. Following a content analysis of 1042 tweets (including 246 pictures), the research findings of this study reveal that athletes predominantly use Twitter as a platform for self- presentation. Furthermore, the analysis showed the possibility for fans to use Twitter in order to overcome the parasocial orbit (Kassing and Sanderson 2012) of virtual space and engage in actual social interaction with athletes. It is concluded that linkages of athletes with various stakeholders and the official framework of social media guidelines by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), result in self- restricting communication patterns of the athletes during the Olympic Games 2012.

Thesis (M. A.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Danielle Wiese, Florida State University, College of Communication, Dept. of Communication. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 13, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 76 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (master's)--Universität, Mainz. / Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis attempts to analyse the representation of professional female sport persons in selected South African media. The field of study is located within the ambit of gender and media studies with specific attention to the power of the latter to not only reflect, but actually shape realities and attitudes. Carolyn Byerly and Karen Ross (2004) comment that “the media have the potential not only to reinforce the status quo in power arrangements in society, but also to contribute to new, more egalitarian ones” (2004:24). The core question, then, is to determine whether traditional gender roles are confirmed, or positively shaped, by the way in which the selected media reported on professional women athletes in various sporting codes. As this is a neglected topic in South Africa, the study relied heavily on the research done by various American and European academics. Academics such as Pamela Creedon (1994) and Susan Birrell and Cheryl Cole (1994), found that female athletes are marginalised and stereotyped by the media. Their research also denotes that female athletes are objectified and judged on their looks and dress code instead of their sporting abilities. Female athletes are continuously stereotyped according to societal induced feminine traits. These representations alienate women who do not possess feminine qualities as “the other”, namely falling outside the desirability as determined by sponsorship and an assumed male viewing / reading public. The media further focus more on beautiful, glamorous athletes than female athletes that are less feminine, but with no less achievement and ability. Extensive examples are provided in the treatise of how the selected South African print media misrepresented women in the six month period that was studied. The conclusion is unambiguous: The South African media unfortunately follow the international trend of objectifying women according to male stereotypes. The media that were studied therefore missed an opportunity to shape gender attitudes as they collude with the powerful forces of sponsorship and viewer-ship to reinforce the status quo.

Many companies choose to use celebrities as endorsers for their advertising campaigns. The two most common types are athletes and entertainers. The purpose of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of how celebrities, especially professional golfers, are used as endorsers in advertising.

This thesis explores representations of Paralympians within media and advertising. Scholarly research on disability is extremely limited, with current research focusing on print media, and few studies going as far as to perform a discourse analysis. Media representations play a prevalent role in constructing “disability” and have the power to define what it means to be a disabled person. Using a poststructural theoretical framework, I undertake a critical discourse analysis of television advertisements produced by Nike and Visa to uncover what narratives regarding disability are circulating with regularity. I find these advertisements featuring Paralympians serve to reproduce the myth of the “supercrip”, failing to acknowledge the complexity of individual experiences of those living with disabilities. Further, the simultaneous celebration and marginalization of Paralympians, a key dialectic found within these advertisements is indicative of a larger polemics circulating with regularity regarding people with disabilities within our increasingly neoliberal society. / v, 117 leaves ; 29 cm

Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Kinesiology and Health, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-114).