Major
Communication Studies
Minor(s)
Business of Digital Media
Advisor
Hodler, Matthew
Advisor Department
Communication Studies
Date
5-2023
Keywords
Podcast; Sport Ideology; Tennis; Media; Storytelling
Abstract
There's a rich ideological history tied to the sport of Tennis, and it's full of profound stories.
This semester-long project features a four episode podcast about the history of tennis. It delves into why the sport is so important in generating intense emotion and real world change; and discusses the culture and ideology behind those who play, cover, and follow it. The stories that are explored in this podcast are told through the lens of the media they were told with — giving the simple storytelling sports podcast a more unique spin.
The podcast takes a simple shape. The first episode introduces the storytelling, prefacing why the content covered in the series is so important. It previews the episodes to come, and feeds the listener necessary information to fully digest the stories that follow. Each subsequent episode focuses on a general ideology (or two), and explores a series of related stories to create a cohesive message about the idea. The podcast’s main ideological focuses are the concepts of gender, race, social class, ability, and mental health.
Research for the podcast is conducted in conjunction with the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. Their highly supportive staff was generous enough to take part in working on this project. Archival work, lecture attendance, and face to face interaction with the ITHOF were driving factors in bringing this project to fruition and allowing it to reach its potential. University of Rhode Island libraries also became a useful resource for archival research during this process.
The goal for this project, in its simplest terms, is to use tangible examples to shine further light onto the ideological significance that sports play in our society. It fuses entertainment and education to deliver a message worth sharing with both the tennis community and the world at large.
Streaming Media
Media Format
flash_audio