The Frank Center for Leadership & Innovation in Media Presents: A Panel on Sports and Social Media

From Naomi Osaka announcing her French Open exit on Instagram to the viral video of Illini gymnast Evan Manivong brandishing his vaccination card, how social media platforms enable and shape interactions among athletes, sports teams, fans, brands, and many others is increasingly clear. Athletes and teams can and do control what they post to social media accounts, but not what happens afterward, as those messages are shared, commented on, used as source material in news stories, and so on. This panel will consider some of the issues, pitfalls, benefits, and concerns where social media and sports intersect.

Panelists include:
Josh Whitman, University of Illinois Athletic Director
Colleen Kane (BS '03, Journalism), Sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune
Alex Iniguez (BS '11, Journalism), Senior Editor at The Athletic
De'Myla Brown, Fighting Illini women's basketball player and journalism student
Moderator: Alison Davis (BS '91, MS '11, Journalism), Lecturer in the Department of Journalism