ABSTRACT

Recent scholarly attention in the field of sports crisis communication has focused on audience reception and participation in crisis communication messages in digital and social media. While studies find that fans launch their own defence of their favourite stars, a comparative analysis of fan enacted crisis communication across multiple social media networks is lacking. This study extends Situational Crisis Communication Theory in the context of athlete reputational crises (ARCs) and examines the use of crisis communication messages in the sporting arena through a study of New Zealand’s All Black Aaron Smith’s 2016 ‘Toilet Tryst’. It builds on previous findings by comparatively analysing 1) the crisis communication messages voiced by Smith and All Blacks management; 2) associated elite opinion in media coverage; and 3) comparative analysis of communication strategies used by fans across a range of social media networks. While Smith and All Blacks employed traditional strategies of apology, we found that fans on social media often defended Smith and the All Blacks, and used newer strategies of expression of disappointment and humour to diminish and curtail reputational impact. However, while there was a little variation in crisis response strategies between the social media networks, there was more within the sub-rhetorical spaces within a social media platform. Implications for and future research in sport fans social media crisis communication strategies are discussed.

摘要

最近在体育危机传播领域的学术关注集中在观众接受和参与数字和社交媒体中的危机传播信息上。虽然研究发现粉丝们会为他们最喜欢的明星发起自己的辩护，但缺乏对粉丝在多个社交媒体网络上发起的危机沟通的比较分析。本研究在运动员声誉危机 (ARC) 的背景下扩展了情境危机沟通理论，并通过对新西兰全黑亚伦史密斯 2016 年“厕所幽会”的研究，检验了在体育领域中危机沟通信息的使用。它建立在之前的研究结果的基础上，通过比较分析 1) 史密斯和全黑管理层表达的危机沟通信息；2) 媒体报道中的相关精英观点；3) 对粉丝在一系列社交媒体网络中使用的传播策略进行比较分析。虽然史密斯和全黑队采用了传统的道歉策略，但我们发现社交媒体上的粉丝经常为史密斯和全黑队辩护，并使用新的表达失望和幽默的策略来减少和减少声誉影响。然而，虽然社交媒体网络之间的危机应对策略略有不同，但社交媒体平台内的次修辞空间内有更多差异。讨论了体育迷社交媒体危机传播策略的影响和未来研究。我们发现社交媒体上的粉丝经常为史密斯和全黑队辩护，并使用更新的表达失望和幽默的策略来减少和减少声誉影响。然而，虽然社交媒体网络之间的危机应对策略略有不同，但社交媒体平台内的次修辞空间内有更多差异。讨论了体育迷社交媒体危机传播策略的影响和未来研究。我们发现社交媒体上的粉丝经常为史密斯和全黑队辩护，并使用更新的表达失望和幽默的策略来减少和减少声誉影响。然而，虽然社交媒体网络之间的危机应对策略略有不同，但社交媒体平台内的次修辞空间内有更多差异。讨论了体育迷社交媒体危机传播策略的影响和未来研究。