Video Project Details
For my project, I wanted to show how the sports world is using social media. I wanted to specifically address the positive and negative ways in which athletes have adapted to the use of Twitter. I also wanted to present the different ways that social media is being used and addressed by broader organizations such as the NFL and the NBA. I believe that the use of social media by professional athletes has changed the way fans idolize their sports icons. By giving athletes a direct un-filtered media source, fans have begun to know their favorite athletes on a more personal level. The direct access that social media allows can help or hurt an athlete’s career. I believe that because social media is relatively new to sports public relations, some athletes don’t fully understand it as an information medium. Through my video I wanted to demonstrate the damage that an insensitive tweet can have on an athlete’s career. I also wanted to show the positive impact that frequent use of social media can have for athletes from a business perspective. When demonstrating the negative consequences of Twitter I chose Antonio Cromartie’s tweet concerning the New York Jets food services because on the surface it does not appear to be an extremely disrespectful comment. But because Cromartie used Twitter to publish his thoughts for the world to see, he felt the negative consequences. I also chose Michael Beasley because it demonstrated how a Twit-pic can also hold negative consequences. I think Rashard Mendenhall’s comments would cause an uproar using any medium, but I included him because it shows how an irresponsible tweet can impact players from a business perspective. When looking at the positive aspects of social media, I felt that Shaquille O’Neal embodied the best use of Twitter. Shaq not only uses social media as a way to connect with fans, but his use of Twitter has also increased his value in the eyes of potential endorsement deals. The ultimate goal of my video is to enlighten athletes and fans on the way in which twitter affects sports icons and their image as role models.
