KIN 850 Special Topics: Media, Communication and Sport
This special topics course, taught by Dr. Jeff MacCharles, will introduce students to the fundamental elements of sport communications and public relations, while also allowing them to investigate the interrelationship between sports and media in today’s society. This dynamic will expose students to how sport organizations craft their messaging and deliver information to stakeholders, while also allowing for an exploration of the media’s role in framing narratives of socio-cultural and sport-related issues. Events of the past year in particular have highlighted how sport is interwoven into the societal fabric of the United States, and it is important to investigate the media’s role in how that relationship is portrayed to the public.
Students will learn important technical skills including the construction and dissemination of press releases, social media content and other sport information components while also building their knowledge of critical discourses associated with media coverage and consumption of sport in contemporary society. Broadly, topics will include public relations, communication strategies, crisis communications, social and digital media, ethical issues, critical perspectives and media literacy related to sport. This course may be of interest for students in the Master of Science in Sport Coaching and Leadership, Master of Science in Kinesiology, and Master of Arts in Education programs.
Questions or enquiries should be sent to Dr. Jeff MacCharles in the Department of Kinesiology via email at maccharl@msu.edu.