Four Sports Journalists to Serve on Saturday Keynote Panel - February 8, 2010

Four sports journalists have agreed to serve as panelists for the closing keynote event at the Fourth Summit on Communication and Sport. The journalists include Karen Crouse of the New York Times, David Lee Morgan of the Akron Beacon Journal, Dave Campbell of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Joe Scalzo of the Youngstown Vindicator. Check back soon to read the bios of each journalist.

During the Friday luncheon, keynote speaker Rob Bellamy of Duquesne University will deliver remarks to the Summit attendees.

The Summit will be held March 18-20, 2010 at the Embassy Suites in downtown Cleveland.

Updated Summit Program Now Available - February 8, 2010

The updated tentative program for the Fourth Summit on Communication and Sport is now available (click here). Six research sessions and two keynote sessions have been set. Robert Bellamy will keynote the Friday luncheon (see Bellamy's bio below) and a keynote panel with northeast Ohio sports journalists has been tentatively set. We are seeking chairs for each session. If you are interested in chairing a session, please contact Adam Earnheardt at acearnheardt@ysu.edu. Research sessions will not include respondents in order to allow for more audience questions following paper presentations.

Please note that the registration deadline for the Summit is Monday, February 1, 2010. You can download the registration form here.

Robert Bellamy to Keynote Fourth Summit

Robert Bellamy has been writing about media and sports for over twenty years in such publications and books as the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media (JOBEM), Journal of Sport and Social Issues (JSSI); NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture; Media, Sports, and Society; MediaSport; and The Handbook of Sports and Media. His most recent book (co-authored with James Walker) is Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television (2008).

He is Professor in the Department of Journalism and Multimedia Arts at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh where he teaches courses in Media and Sports, Media Sports Relations, Media Law & Regulation, Research Methods, and Media & Society. He is a member of the editorial board of NINE and previously of JSSI. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, his M.A. from the University of Kentucky, and his B.A. from Morehead State University in his home state of Kentucky.

He lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with his wife Cathy, daughter Kate, a dog, three cats, and two fish. Pittsburgh, of course, is the “City of Champions,“ except in his favorite sport of baseball, where the Pirates have set some more dubious records of their own. He can be reached at bellamy@duq.edu.

From the birthplace of the NFL and home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH) to the storied professional sports franchises of the Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers, and Indians, northeast Ohio has a rich tradition in sports. Couple this “professional” sports tradition with historic programs at our local colleges and universities and it is easy to see why Kent State and Youngstown State are excited to co-host the Fourth Summit on Communication & Sport.

If the first three Summits (3rd Summit at Clemson University, 1st and 2nd at Arizona State University) are any indication of the burgeoning interest in sport communication research, then the fourth Summit will certainly have much to offer. Our hope is that the upcoming Summit will serve as a vehicle for cross-pollination of ideas, concepts, and theories for the study of sport and communication. Take this unique opportunity to connect with other sports communication researchers – make connections with others interested in your research agenda – and cultivate relationships with like-minded scholars.

Please check back often.  As we secure keynote speakers, plan the program, and arrange special meetings and activities we will post that information here.