Repairing the Athlete's Image Studies in Sports Image Restoration
Produktdetaljer
Biographical note
Joseph R. Blaney is associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of communication at Illinois State University. Lance R. Lippert is associate professor of communication at Illinois State University. J. Scott Smith is a PhD student at the University of Missouri.In this ambitious. . . collection of 20 case studies, scholars (most from U.S. institutions) use William Benoit's theory of image restoration to analyze the image-repair discourse employed by sports figures and organizations. Blaney, Lippert, and Smith organize the collection according to the nature of the controversy (e.g., drugs) surrounding the individual in each case study. Four of the case studies focus on women, yet only Angela Jerome's study of Teresa Earnhardt (widow of race car driver Dale Earnhardt) specifically considers gender as a factor in public perception of the sports figure. Also flawed is J. Scott Smith's case study of Barry Bonds. To support his conclusion, Smith cites positive views toward Bonds and more negative views toward Mark McGwire in a poll of Hall of Fame voters. . . . Summing Up: Recommended.
CHOICE
Repairing the Athlete’s Image will intrigue the multiple groups interested in the relationship between the media and the sports industry. Whether you are an educator, journalist, public relations practitioner, or in a position of responsibility within a sports organization, this text has something for you.
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
Dr. Blaney successfully applies rhetorical theory to sports discourse, and in doing so legitimizes sports as a worthy subject of academic inquiry . . . and it's about time! This should be required reading in rhetoric and sports communication programs alike.
- Paul Gullifor, Bradley University,