The impact of athlete
activism online remains understudied in academic scholarship. To gain a better
understanding for fan response to athlete activism online, this study examines
the patterns in perception and response among sports fans with respect to
politically-charged content posted online by professional athletes. The purpose
of this study is to use this understanding of fan response to help athletes and
their representatives manage fan reaction to athletes’ politically-charged
content. By examining fan response to politically-charged content, this study
suggests principles for eliciting positive impact, fostering open discourse,
and promoting awareness through social media. Patterns in perception and
response among sports fans with respect to politically-charged content posted
online by professional athletes were examined through in-depth interviews
conducted with sports fans between the ages of 18 and 30 who follow the
profiles of professional athletes on social media. An understanding of the
potential benefits and drawbacks of athletes’ use of social media for social
movements has been gained through an analysis of the emergent themes among
perception and response patterns revealed by study participants. The emergent
themes of this study inform recommendations for professional athletes posting
politically-charged content online. The findings of this study suggest that athletes
who post politically-charged content online should do so with their goals and
audience in mind. Knowing their goals as well as their audience grants athletes
the ability to frame their content accordingly, rendering them more likely to
receive positive responses to the politically-charged content they post. Based
on the findings of this study, athletes who frame politically-charged content
as a narrative highlighting their lived experience and employing appeals to
emotion and humor yield the most positive responses from otherwise uninterested
or hostile fans. The insights gained from this study stand to fill the gap in
existing literature surrounding athlete activism online.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/8006078 |
| Date | 15 May 2019 |
| Creators | Lillian B Feder (6596906) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/Athlete_Activism_Online_An_Examination_of_Subsequent_Fan_Engagement/8006078 |
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