League of Denial: A Case Study of the NFL and the Concussion Crisis (66086)
Session Chair: Rita Budiman
Sunday, January 8, 2023 (16:30)
Session: Session 3
Room: Live-Stream E
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation
This case study analyzes the crisis communications response strategies used by the National Football League (NFL) in its external communications to address the league’s concussion/Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) crisis spanning from 1994 to present day. Framing analysis was used to better understand the ways in which the NFL and medical professionals employed by the multi-billion-dollar sports colossus packaged and presented information about the connection between football, concussions, and long-term brain damage to several publics, including fans, leading medical journals, current and former players, and the media. The SWOT analysis was conducted through the lens of image repair theory (Benoit, 1995) within Mike Granatt's (2004) mass media response to reporting crises scaffolding with the intent of examining the crisis communication strategies, tactics, mistakes, and buffers used by the NFL over the span of more than two decades. The results indicate that the NFL focused on the primary crisis strategies of denial and diminishing, employing tactics such as public attacks, disputing science, and shared responsibility to minimize, not medicalize “how the NFL, over a period of nearly two decades, sought to cover up and deny mounting evidence of the connection between football and brain damage” (Kirk, 2013). The NFL has leveraged several buffers in the debate surrounding player concussions, legal implications, CTE, and long-term harmful effects: including prior relationship and historical reputation, sports fan communities, warrior narrative, and enormous wealth. The current state of the NFL’s role in the concussions debate, practical implications, and future scholarship on this topic are also discussed.
Authors:
Stephanie Pendrys, Turība University, Latvia
About the Presenter(s)
Ms Stephanie Pendrys is a University Doctoral Student at Turība University in Latvia
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