[Commlist] Call for Abstracts: ECREA Preconference “Strategies and European Sports Communication”

Call for Abstracts: ECREA Preconference “Strategies and European Sports 
Communication”

The relationship between media and sport can for many good reasons be 
characterized as entirely strategic, both in a historical and 
contemporary perspective. In this one-day preconference hosted by Aarhus 
University on October 19 2022, the ECREA Temporary Working Group on 
Communication and Sport calls for papers exploring strategic dimensions 
of the sport-media nexus from diverse perspectives and on many levels. 
The aim is to share and nuance our existing knowledge about the many 
ways in which mediated communication about sport in Europe is developing 
in close connection with various forms of strategic concerns in the 
realm of sports, in media and/or wider societal contexts.Abstracts 
between 300 and 500 words can be submitted by July 8, 2022.

For more than a century some sports and events have been vital content 
for certain media businesses to achieve pivotal strategic goals, like 
attracting more or new audiences/users, create traffic and data, and 
build up new markets, perhaps in connection with processes of 
rebranding. And for an increasing number of sports organizations and 
managers, partnerships and contracted collaborations with media 
organizations have been crucial elements in the development of still 
more complex business models involving a range of other strategic 
business partners. These formalized collaborations have together with 
more informal relationships with independent journalists all been 
important for the public image of many sports and organizations. Not to 
mention nations, regions or cities using hosting/organization of sports 
events of different scales as vehicles for social, economic or 
infrastructural development or a ‘soft power’ strategy seeking political 
and cultural recognition on a global or international scene.

Digitization has added new dimensions to this broad picture of strategic 
intertwinements between powerful media and sport, which we are 
interested in. The profession of journalism and the working conditions 
for journalists have changed profoundly, requiring new strategies from 
them to get access to sources and thus to produce sports content. We 
witness a wave of sports activism, where athletes use their status as 
(media-created) icons and the direct access to fans and the wider public 
on social media to pursue different sorts of (political) goals. Sports 
organizations on all levels in European sports increasingly engage in 
different forms of digitally facilitated sports activities, sometimes in 
close collaboration with new types of media businesses. Sports clubs and 
governing bodies communicate with a wide range of stakeholders via 
global digital platforms, and the commercially strong organizations 
build up their own professionally staffed media and marketing units, 
trying to produce data and get more leverage to the public image of 
their sports and events.

We call for papers which deal with historic and contemporary strategic 
dimensions in European sports communication, including both theoretical 
and analytical perspectives on the tensions, conflicts, many dilemmas 
and negotiations involved, like when power balances are changing and 
different strategic interests co-exist or merge around the same sport or 
event.

We invite abstracts between 300-500 words submitted in English language 
by July 8 2022 via e-mail to the Chair of the TWG JProf. Dr. Daniel 
Nölleke ((d.noelleke /at/ dshs-koeln.de) <mailto:(d.noelleke /at/ dshs-koeln.de)>).

To support the integration of as many scholars as possible, we invite to 
1-2 onsite panels and 1 online panel. Please indicate clearly whether 
the abstract is for onsite or online presentation.

Authors will be notified about acceptance at the end of July.

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