An Examination of the Public Relations Role in Activism in Sports

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role of public relations within activism in sports. The study uses secondary and primary research, including a literature review, interviews with public relations practitioners and individuals experienced in sport advocacy, and case studies. The research questions aim to investigate how public relations is used in athlete activism, how public relations practitioners manage backlash around it, and public relations strategies at different levels of athletes involved in activism. The findings of the study reveal the importance of understanding stakeholder perspectives and how public relations plays a key role in facilitating athlete and organizational activism. It provides insights for public relations practitioners working with a sports organization or athletes involved in social advocacy to highlight best practices, and how to effectively utilize public relations when facilitating activism in sports. Implications for future research include examining themes in corporate social responsibility, reputation management and crisis management. Keywords: Public relations, communications, sport advocacy, sport politics, athlete activism, framing theory, and social media