Comm 400 Olympics

TENTATIVE SYLLABUS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):

COMM 400 (course #20610R) Communication Strategies and Tactics for the Olympics Units: 4 Spring 2017 Mondays and Wednesdays 12:00-1:50 ANN 408

Instructor: Karen North, PhD Office: ANN 414B Office Hours: Mon/Wed, 12:00-1:50 Contact Info: [email protected] Annenberg IT Help Desk: ASC 234 | [email protected] | (213) 740-3901

Course Description In this course, students will explore communication practices and strategies related to the Olympics. There will be an emphasis on the US Olympic efforts, but individual students are welcome to focus projects on other nations’ efforts. Students will study and learn the communication strategies and tactics used to promote individual athletes, teams, nations, and the USOC. We will look at best practices as well as misuses and errors in communicating for the Olympics. Thus, we will explore traditional and new media efforts related to participating countries, promotion of winter and summer Olympic sports, promotion of athletes, brands and branding, crisis communication, bidding for the Olympics, the use of opening and closing ceremonies, and more. Learning will focus on the challenges, successes, and failures of communication efforts and professionals.

Overall Learning Objectives and Assessment By the end of the course, students will be able to:  Understand the challenges facing communication professionals who work for various stakeholders of the Olympics (host city, national Olympic Committee, team sport, or individual athlete).  Understand the fundamental issues tying the Olympics to international diplomacy.  Develop a basic social media and traditional media plan for Winter or Summer games.  Write basic communication documents such as press releases, decision memos, short speeches, and social media posts relating to Olympic activities.  Explain crisis communication strategies related to anticipated crises at the Olympics.

Attendance & Class Policy Students are required to attend class regularly, to contribute to class discussions, and to do weekly reading. Attendance in lecture is important: there is significant material covered in lecture that is not in the reading. Students cannot pass the course without attending most of the lectures. There are several writing assignments for this class, and because the lectures, discussions, readings and course assignments are all vitally linked, it is critical to keep up with the schedule.

Students who miss class without prior permission may lose 3% per class session missed. Some absences can be made up with 5 page reflection papers (reflecting on the readings). This option is only available with prior consent of the instructor. Students who miss more than three lectures are at risk failing the course.

Grading Breakdown

ASSESSMENT COMPONENT POINTS % OF GRADE

Attendance and Participation 10

Press Releases (4 @5% each) 20

Class Presentation (speeches/pitches plus slides and 25 memo)

Quizzes (2) 20

Final Paper 25

TOTAL 100%

Assignment Submission Policy

The details of each paper will be given in a prompt approximately one week before the papers are due (dates are noted in the syllabus). Final Paper topics will be discussed in class and individual topics will be chosen at least 4 weeks before the due date. Papers must be presented in hard copy (not as an email attachment). Oral presentations must be accompanied by a written version of the presentation. All students must turn in their written presentation document at the same time (on the due date) so that the order of presentation does not create different due dates for different students. Late papers will lose 10% per day after the due date and time. If you have an emergency that impacts your ability to turn your paper in on time, you need to contact the professor before the paper is due. Students may not miss quizzes. Quizzes are in class only.

2 Press Releases: There will be 4 (four) memos. Each memo is worth 5% of the grade (for a total of 20%). Press Releases must be written in correct format. They must have proper headings and titles, including contact information, release (or embargo) date, etc. Note that each Press Release is on a different topic and must be approved by instructor.

Quizzes: There will be 2 (two) quizzes. Each quiz is worth 10% (for a total of 20%). These will cover material from lecture, discussion, and readings.

Class Presentation: There will be 1 (one) Class Presentation worth 25% of the grade. The Class Presentation has 3 parts: 1. Pitch/Presentation to the class; 2. Slide Deck shown during pitch AND turned in; 3. Memo documenting and elaborating on your presentation. Note that slides must be informative, AND Memo must have proper formatting, including headings and informative titles and/or subtitles and be rich with information and data.

Final Paper: The final paper is worth 25%. Each student will choose a topic for the final paper. The paper should be 10-20 pages (target length is 12 pages). The paper must be divided into at least 4 sections (with proper titles and subtitles). Students must sign up for final paper topic.

Class Participation: Class participation is worth 10%. Students must attend classes AND participate actively. Points will be given each week for attendance and for asking questions, engaging, and interacting during lecture and class discussion.

Required Readings  Textbooks: o Miah, Andy (2017) Sport 2.0: Transforming Sports for a Digital World (MIT Press) o Billings, Andrew; Butterworth, Michael; Turman, Paul (2017). Communication and Sport: Surveying the Field. Sage Press o Moon, Russell David (2012) Days of Wonders: Inside the Olympic Opening Ceremony o

 Weekly Readings & videos o The Olympics: Diplomacy and Politics: http://www.activeminds.com/topics/Olympics.html o Is Hosting the Olympics Good or Bad for a Nation’s Brand. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/hosting-olympics-good-bad-nations- brand/ o Does Hosting the Olympics Actually Pay off?

3 https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/does-hosting-the-olympics- actually-pay-off.html o LA 2024 Bid Book https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2325415-la-2024-bid-book.html o Hung, Kineta, Chan, Isabella, Chan, Penelope (3/25/2009) Nike and Liu Xiang: Crisis Management In Celebrity Endorsement. (Harvard Business Case) o Gupta, Sunil (6/30/2014). Marketing Reading: Creating Customer Value (Harvard Business Case) o Lee, Daniel; Wang, Jay; Kotler, Jonathan; Durbin, Dan (5/4/2011). Beyond Michael Phelps: How Can. USA Swimming Promote the Sport in the Post-Phelps Era? o Beer, Jeff (3/22/2010). Own the PR Podium (Public Relations of the Vancouver Olympics) o Bissell, K; and Perry, S (2013). The Olympics, Media and Society. Routledge: New York o http://www.teamusa.org/News/2017/September/25/US-Olympic-Leaders-Open-To- Bidding-For-Future-Winter-Games o International Olympic Committee Marketing Report: Rio 2016 http://touchline.digipage.net/iocmarketing/reportrio2016/1-1 o http://touchline.digipage.net/iocmarketing/reportrio2016/2-1 o http://www.teamusa.org/News/2017/September/25/US-Olympic-Leaders-Open- To-Bidding-For-Future-Winter-Games o https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/17/world/europe/olympics-2024-paris.html o https://thewire.in/178716/why-nobody-wants-the-olympics/ o http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/08/the-1984-boys-how-the-84-olympics- planted-the-seed-for-casey-wasserman-and-eric-garcetti-to-spearhead-the- games-return-to-l-a-in-2028/ o

TOPICS BY WEEK:

First Unit: Historical Background Week 1: The Olympics: Symbolism and importance for individuals, sports, and nations. Topics include: The importance of Symbolism. Understanding the Culture of the Olympics. Understanding Digital Culture

READINGS:  SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapters 1-2  COMM and SPORT (Billings) pages 81-89 (sports as myth)

Week 2: Nationalism vs. Diplomacy: International Cooperation and Peaceful Competition Topics to Include: Host countries’ struggle with social and political issues, President Carter’s boycott, Jesse Owens and Hitler, The Munich Olympics, Rio’s water (environmental issues). Etc. Students will be challenged to consider both sides of controversial issues and write press releases and articles promoting their opinions on

4 a chosen controversial historical moment. READINGS:  SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapters 1-2  COMM and SPORT (Billings) Chapter 8 (politics and nationalism)

Second Unit: Hosting and Bidding Week 3: To Host or Not to Host: Exploring Issues Related to Hosting the Olympics Exploring issues of hosting the Olympics, including the impact of hosting the Olympics on the “brand” of a nation and of a hosting city. READINGS:  LA 2024 Bid Book https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2325415-la-2024-bid-book.html  http://www.teamusa.org/News/2017/September/25/US-Olympic-Leaders-Open- To-Bidding-For-Future-Winter-Games  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/17/world/europe/olympics-2024-paris.html  https://thewire.in/178716/why-nobody-wants-the-olympics/  http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/08/the-1984-boys-how-the-84-olympics- planted-the-seed-for-casey-wasserman-and-eric-garcetti-to-spearhead-the-games- return-to-l-a-in-2028/

Week 4: Bidding for the Olympics: Communicating and Pitching to 1. The IOC, 2. The World and Fans Worldwide, 3. The citizens of the city. Bidding for the Olympics is now a multi year endeavor. The IOC is key to deciding which city will “win” the right to host the Olympics. We will explore what is communicated to the IOC and what motivates these decisions. Additionally, how does the prospective host city garner the support of the world through communicating the reasons for the bid. Finally, for the city bidding, there is a critical need to communicate to the citizens so that the city will actively support the bid AND the years of preparation. READINGS:

 LA 2024 Bid Book https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2325415-la-2024-bid-book.html  http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/09/heres-the-real-inside-story-of- how-paris-won-the-2024-olympics/  http://www.teamusa.org/News/2017/July/31/Los-Angeles-Bid-Committee- Declares-Candidature-To-Host-Olympic-And-Paralympic-Games-2028  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2017/09/11/whats-next-los- angeles-plan-host-2028-olympics/653610001/

ASSIGNMENTS  Press Release 1: Your bid for the Olympics

Week 5: Communication During the Years of Preparation The class will explore the array of issues facing cities and countries as they prepare

5 for the Olympics. Issues explored will include building a brand for the upcoming Olympics, facing local challenges and communicating about these challenges and about the chosen solutions (e.g., environmental issues, poverty, displacement of unwanted people, building infrastructure, expense, and disruption). Brands, Endorsements, Partnerships will also be discussed here. Marketing and promoting to fans.

 SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapter 6-7 (Media Change and New Olympic Media)  https://gamesbids.com/eng/featured/ioc-launches-overhauled-2026-olympic- winter-games-bid-process/

Assignment: Quiz

Third Unit: Olympic Sports: Communication Practices During the Olympics Week 6: Different Challenges Facing Summer vs. Winter Olympics In addition to the Olympics, there are also communication issue facing endorsements, brands, and partnerships, and the economics of the Olympics READINGS:  SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapter 6-7 (Media Change and New Olympic Media)  COMM and SPORT (Billings) Chapter 3 (Sports Media)

Week 7: Building Brands: Exploring Different Olympic Sports Branding, Marketing, PR, News Coverage, Promoting each sport. Uses of social media.

READINGS:  SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapters 8 and 10 (Social Media, Citizen Journalism)  COMM and SPORT (Billings) Chapter 3 (Sports Media)

ASSIGNMENTS  Press Release 2: Promoting your National Team

Week 8: Continued Building Brands: Exploring Different Olympic Sports Branding, Marketing, PR, News Coverage, Promoting each sport, Uses of Social media

READINGS:  SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapters 9 (Social Media London Olympics) 

Fourth Unit: Individual Athletes and Celebrities

6 Week 9: Celebrity Athletes, star athletes, and The Personal Touch: People are drawn to personal stories and personal connections. The Olympics allows us to get “up close and personal” with athletes, turning many of them into celebrities. READINGS:  SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapters 4 (Elite Athlete)

ASSIGNMENTS  Press Release 3: Promoting your sport

Week 10: Promoting and Covering Individual Athletes Branding, PR, News Coverage, Promoting individuals. Social media. Brands and Endorsements READINGS:  http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/news/north-korean-figure-skaters-hope-to- qualify-for-winter-olympics-w506022  http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/29/news/negotiate-sports-agent-phil-de- picciotto/index.html 

Week 11: Promoting and Covering Individual Athletes Branding, PR, News Coverage, Promoting individuals. Social media. Brands and Endorsements

READINGS:  SPORT 2.0 (Miah) Chapters 5 (Spectators)

ASSIGNMENT: 1. SPEECHES/PITCHES plus 2. Slides and 3. Memo Student Presentations:. Students will give a 3-5 minute speech (with slides) pitching their chosen athlete to a brand or sponsor. Slides AND a written memo

Fifth Unit: CRISES Week 12: Introduction to Crisis Communication. What are crises in the Olympics and how do communication professionals respond to Olympics related crises

READINGS:  COMM and SPORT (Billings) Chapter 13 (Crisis Communication)

 http://www.dailybreeze.com/2017/09/18/ioc-president-insists-corruption-scandals- wont-damage-2028-olympics/  http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/12/by-agreeing-to-host-2028-olympics-l-a- organizing-committee-will-be-doing-business-with-a-scandal-ridden-ioc/ 

7 Week 13: Athletes Behaving Badly: Personal scandals and the ramifications for 1. The athlete, 2. The team/sport, 3. The athlete’s country, 4. The host city/nation READINGS:  http://abcnews.go.com/US/ryan-lochte-hires-top-crisis-communications-pro- matthew/story?id=41531114  https://www.theringer.com/2017/7/27/16077696/ryan-lochte-rio-olympic-games- scandal-recent-history-week-cc7d01ece6a3

ASSIGNMENTS  Press Release 4: Response to your team or athlete’s crisis/scandal 

Week 14: International Incidents (Rio’s Water, Carter’s Rose Garden, 1984 Soviet boycott, 1996 Atlanta bombing, China’s Human Rights issues, Salt Lake City Bribes to IOC members, 1972 Munich Massacre, etc.)

READINGS:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2016/03/31/rio-olympics-2016-how-brazil-is-in- crisis-mode-just-four-months/  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/president-carter-orders-an-olympic- boycott-march-21-1980-236185 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-a-finalist-for-2022-olympics-but- facing-human-rights-criticism/2014/09/11/ec6929ee-397c-11e4-9c9f- ebb47272e40e_story.html?utm_term=.8577282c1196

Assignment: QUIZ

Week 15: Pulling it all together. A week of review.

Finals Week: Final Paper due

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