Communication and sport, where art thou? Epistemological reflections on the moment and field(s) of play

Abstract

In this editorial essay, Communication and Sport Editor-in-Chief Lawrence Wenner considers the state of scholarly inquiry on communication and sport at an important moment. The moment features complementary and competing scholarly journals, a notable advance in institutional formations in scholarly organizations that have helped legitimize inquiry in the area, and the strategic rise of academic programs, institutes, and centers in communication and media studies that focus on sport. In assessing the state of scholarly play on communication and sport, competing questions are considered: (1) ‘‘Is there ‘a’ field and, if so, what is it? and/or (2) ‘‘Are there many ‘fields of play’ with offset objectives, priorities, and levels of develop-ment?’’ An epistemological assessment is made of three dispositions to the study of communication and sport: (1) a ‘‘Media, Sports, and Society’’ disposition, (2) a ‘‘Sport Communication as Profession’’ disposition, and (3) a ‘‘Communication Studies and Sport’’ disposition. The essay closes with summary characterization of these dispositions and points to the challenges ahead for the scholarly study of communication and sport to develop as a coherent field.