Sports Celebrities in the Field of Judo and the Production of Meanings through Digital/Social Communication

Proceedings of The World Conference on Media and Communication

Year: 2021

DOI:

[Fulltext PDF]

Sports Celebrities in the Field of Judo and the Production of Meanings through Digital/Social Communication

Célia Sousa Vieira, Inês Maria Veiga Guerra dos Santos, Simone Antoniaci Tuzzo

 

ABSTRACT: 

In this study, we intend to analyse the production of meanings in communication mediated by the digital/social media Instagram, when used by celebrities, opinion makers, linked to the world of sport. We will start from a comparative analysis of the publications of two Olympic medallists in the judo modality: Mayra Aguiar, from Brazil, and Telma Monteiro, from Portugal, to identify the most relevant features of their communication narratives. Publications that occurred in the period of 15 days, before and after, of the respective participation in the Olympics in 2016 (Brazil) and in 2021 (Tokyo) were considered. From a theoretical point of view, we place ourselves in the perspective of celebrity studies, personal branding and social representations. Combining a quantitative analysis with a content analysis, the first results point out to significant changes between the two periods of analysis, mainly in the relationship with sponsors, in the engagement with different audiences and in a growing commitment to a more conscious and intentional communication. In a broader perspective, the study points to distinctive features that may arise from the respective cultural contexts.

keywords: Engagement; Instagram; Olympics; Personal Brand; Social Representations.