Стратегическа комуникация при кризи: практики на спортните организации в социалните медии
Strategic Crisis Communication: the Practices of Sports Organizations on Social Media

Author(s): Maria Nikolova
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Economy, Media studies, Business Economy / Management, Communication studies, Sociology, Sports Studies
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: crisis communications; social media; sports organizations; European Super League; Olympic Games
Summary/Abstract: Recent research (2020 – 2025) on strategic crisis communication in the field of sports highlights the central role of social media as a tool for managing reputational risks and relationships with stakeholders. Effective crisis communication requires a balance of transparency, empathy, and strategic message formulation in the digital environment. The application of theoretical frameworks such as the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and the Image Repair Theory demonstrates that audience reactions on social networks simultaneously shape and reflect public trust in sports organizations. New models – the Social Media Users’ Crisis Response (SMUCR) model and the Crisis Communication for Professional Sport (CCPS) model-offer more flexible, stakeholder-oriented approaches. Sports organizations must integrate data analysis, cultural sensitivity, and transparency to manage crisis communication effectively in social media. The methodological approach of this study is based on the analysis of two representative case studies: the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the public controversies following the opening ceremony, as well as the collapse of the European Super League (2021). The choice of these two cases is motivated by their global public and social media resonance, which reflects different types of communication crises – reputational, cultural, and managerial. In both contexts, social media became a key space for reaction, criticism, and the mobilisation of stakeholders, significantly influencing the reputation and legitimacy of sports organizations. In both cases, stakeholder reactions in the online environment surpassed the official messages of the organizations in both speed and scale, revealing a lack of proactivity, transparency, and two-way communication. Sports institutions often perceive social media as a one-way announcement channel rather than a space for dialogue and management of public attitudes. This can lead to a loss of narrative control and an erosion of trust in sports organizations.

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