Stephen W. Dittmore

Navigate the evolving world of sport public relations. Now in its fourth edition, Sport Public Relations provides students, educators, and professionals with the foundational knowledge and modern strategies needed to navigate the evolving world of public relations (PR) in sport. The textbook presents essential topics such as media relations, digital and social media engagement, crisis communication, community relations, and internal stakeholder management. It blends theoretical frameworks with practical applications, offering readers a well-rounded understanding of how PR functions within sport organizations. Each chapter is enriched with real-world case studies, updated statistics, and contemporary examples that reflect current industry practices and challenges. Featuring an all-new full-color presentation, the fourth edition includes updated content: Sidebars addressing artificial intelligence (AI), ethical issues in PR, and the challenges of communicating in a high-speed digital world Focused discussion on name, image, and likeness (NIL) issues and athlete branding New social media usage statistics, information about new trends in short-form content, and a case study on Gymshark's influencer marketing strategy Reinforced crisis communication planning with updated examples and strategies for evaluating response effectiveness, complemented by a new student activity addressing a crisis communication scenario Information on digital engagement strategies beyond social media, with updated Internet usage data, discussions of cybersecurity, and an exploration of the impact of legal sports betting on website engagement A semester-long project in which students will complete a series of assignments that culminate in the creation of a sport PR campaign plan With a wealth of updated content and a continued focus on real-world applications, this text will give students the skills needed to succeed in today's complex media and stakeholder environment. Emphasis on current technologies ensures readers are not only learning foundational PR principles but also gaining insight into how to apply them in modern, high-stakes scenarios. By addressing both external and internal communication strategies, the book prepares future professionals to build strong brands, manage crises, engage communities, and lead with purpose in a digitally driven and socially conscious industry. Related online learning activities delivered through HKPropel include key term flash cards, a semester-long sport PR campaign project, and a crisis communication scenario activity. Pedagogical aids such as chapter objectives, key terms, sidebars, case studies, end-of-chapter summaries, recommended learning activities, and callouts directing students to the online activities are included throughout the text. With Sport Public Relations, Fourth Edition, students will learn to think strategically about public relations in the sport context and develop consistent communication and stronger relationships between sport organizations and their key publics. Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all print books.

This first full-length biography of the pioneer covers Jim "Junior" Gilliam's role during important baseball transitions. An established star in the Negro Leagues, Gilliam followed Jackie Robinson in MLB's integration efforts. As both a Brooklyn Dodger and Los Angeles Dodger, Gilliam notched some of the final baseball highlights at Ebbets Field and then served as a face of the new Los Angeles Dodgers.Jim Gilliam faced long odds throughout his life and had a knack for overcoming them. His father died when he was less than a year old. He was raised by his mother in segregated Nashville, Tennessee, during the Great Depression, dropping out of high school to play ball. He rode buses through the Jim Crow south as a member of the Nashville Black Vols and Baltimore Elite Giants, Negro Leagues teams in the 1940s. He spent two years with the Montreal Royals, the Brooklyn Dodgers' top minor-league team, ostensibly because it was easier for the Dodgers to keep mediocre white talent on its big-league roster than face the scrutiny of fielding a team with five Black players. He persevered to win Rookie of the Year honors as part of a long career in the majors, becoming one of MLB's first Black coaches before tragically passing away right before the 1978 World Series.On the field, Gilliam was truly the bridge between Brooklyn and Los Angeles. He recorded the last hit in Brooklyn Dodger history, scored a run in the final game at Ebbets Field, scored the first Dodger run in both the Los Angeles Coliseum and Dodger Stadium, and blasted the first home run in Dodger Stadium. He was also a notable bridge between MLB and the Negro Leagues: Gilliam is the only player to hit a home run in both the Negro League East-West All-Star Game (1950) and the Major League All-Star Game (1959) and is one of the few players to win both a Negro League Championship and a World Series.Gilliam never commanded the spotlight yet was influential in the Dodgers reaching seven World Series, winning four, during his career. He never had a permanent position and was frequently the subject of trade rumors. In the meticulously researched and elegantly written Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger, Gilliam's life story and its important place in both MLB and Dodgers history is detailed while also providing valuable insights into the racial history of Nashville, the Negro Leagues, MLB and 1960s Los Angeles. Featured are interviews with the Dodgers Gilliam played alongside, played for and coached-Dick Tracewski, Bobby Valentine, Peter O'Malley, Steve Garvey-as well as a foreword from former Dodgers GM Fred Claire.

Sport Public Relations, Third Edition With HKPropel Access, offers a comprehensive examination of the value and practice of public relations in sport. Extensively updated and substantially reorganized, this third edition reflects the evolution of the field with modern applications across a wide range of media channels. The book’s topics align with the Common Professional Component topics outlined by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA). The author team brings together significant professional and educational backgrounds in sport public relations to offer an engaging look at the full range of public relations functions. Readers will learn the importance of consistent brand communication and how to manage organizational relationships, both internal and external, to attain key strategic goals. The thorough coverage of the field is built around three common themes: Public relations is a managerial function focused on advancing the brand and engaging key stakeholders.The communications environment is continuously evolving.Community relations, employee relations, and donor relations are as critical as media relations within the sport industry. Woven throughout these themes are public relations theories applied in sport-specific contexts to help students further understand the complexity of the sport communication ecosystem. Throughout the book, there is guidance for practical application, including samples of public relations materials such as news releases and employee newsletters. Be Your Own Media sidebars highlight how sport organizations are proactively telling their stories across various media platforms. New to this edition, case studies and discussion questions serve as a foundation for additional learning. Other updates include the following: Discussion of engaging key publics through social media and other forms of digital media-such as blogs, podcasts, virtual fan communities, and video-as well as approaches to developing content, metrics for measuring success, and skills for managing media in sportAn examination of customer experience (CX) and how to enhance those relationships by defining customer touch points and mapping the customer journeyConsiderations for social media usage during crisis communication, with modern examples of effective and ineffective ways prominent sport entities have managed recent crises Also new to the third edition are related online learning aids delivered through HKPropel and designed to generate discussion and highlight the opportunities and challenges that exist in sport public relations. Commentary on current topics is accompanied by links to associated content, discussion questions, and applied learning activities to promote engaged student learning. A live Twitter feed for specific hashtags within HKPropel ensures regular updates. With Sport Public Relations, Third Edition, students will better understand the various demands of the field and learn to successfully and proactively develop consistent communication and stronger relationships between sport organizations and their key publics. Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with this ebook.