Social Media and the Olympics
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2012-07-26/social-media-and-olympics
The athletes competing at the Summer Olympic Games in London aren't lacking for attention from traditional media. But in the era of pervasive social media like Facebook and Twitter, many of the competitors are discovering the benefits and pitfalls of communicating directly with their own audiences. Just this week, a triple jumper from Greece was pulled from her team because of incendiary comments she made on Twitter. We explore the convergence of social media and the Olympics in the modern era.
Guests
Lisa Delpy Neirotti
Professor of Sports Management and Tourism Studies, George Washington University
Comments
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Not too long ago, the goalie of the Argentinean field hockey team "Las Leonas" (one of the most competitive teams in the world!) announced her pregnancy in a tweet.
Teammates learned she was not only dropping out of the national team but also that she and her partner had been seeking a child for long time, all in the midst of preparation for the Olympic games.
This was not well-taken by the team nor the fans and raises serious issues and legal implications.
As social media evolves and the use of it becomes the norm, it will continue raising controversy for sports figures (and others), as it becomes harder to control the content and the speed of the communication.
Anyone tweeting will be forced to rapidly face the consequences.