Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Mass Communications
Major Professor
Kelli Burns, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Travis Bell, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Kelly Page Werder, Ph.D.
Keywords
Charity support behaviors, Content analysis, Corporate social responsibility, National Hockey League, News frames, Twitter
Abstract
With more than 6.8 million followers on Twitter (as of Feb. 2023), the National Hockey League (NHL) has a large platform that has the potential to influence societal change not only in the United States and Canada, but also globally. This study aims to understand how corporate social responsibility initiatives pair with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Furthermore, this research seeks to understand how organizations communicate these messages with their publics through social media. This study specifically examines news frames and charity support behaviors implemented by the NHL in messages about its DEI campaign, “Hockey Is For Everyone,” and analyze fans’ reactions to understand which posts either resonate well or spark backlash. The results of the study aim to provide insightful data for the NHL, as well as other professional sports leagues and organizations, in how to approach corporate social responsibility campaign messaging that is received with positive reactions online.
Scholar Commons Citation
Martinez, Jessica, "Advocating for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Study of the NHL’s #HockeyIsForEveryone Campaign on Twitter" (2023). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/9904
