COURSE: SPORTS JOURNALISM
The purpose of the course is to introduce the students to the basic concepts, principles and values of the sports journalism profession, in areas and fields that have recently appeared and are in the of evolution and development phase. Also, it aims to deepen, enrich and support scientifically and through research the already existing knowledge in the subject, such as the modern writing of the news for each Media as well as to train the participants in the coverage of new sports that are nowadays part of the Olympic Games, as well as the electronic sports (e-sports) that are conquering the sports audience at a very fast pace. Issues concerning the coverage of sports for Persons with Disabilities and the depiction/representation of women’s sports are discussed during the course.
In the context of the course, basic communication theories and models applied in journalism are analysed, such as the determination of the daily agenda by the media (agenda setting), the construction of the agenda (agenda building), offensive and defensive communication strategies of professional sports organizations and the common points and the differences between them are clarified. Furthermore, special emphasis is placed on the role and mission of the Sports Journalist in the modern era of the Internet and the new Information and Communication Technologies, which have led the profession into a phase of transition. Finally, the learning unit deals with the characteristics that define sports reporting and, by extension, sports information in the various types of Media, as well as the special procedures and requirements that exist in its implementation and distinguish it from entertainment, without rejecting it. During the lectures, students will have the opportunity to apply the basic principles and theories in practice through case studies, contact with professionals, formulation and presentation of assignments.
COURSE: COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS IN SPORTS
The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the basic theories of public relations as well as their application in the practice of the sports industry. The responsibilities of public relations, the various groups of public and the various theoretical models of public relations are presented, while particular importance is given to the issues of ethics and ethics. It also describes the stages of a communication and public relations program, the basic tactics and tools used by board executives to promote sports organizations or athletes. The role of media, research and evaluation in board practice is emphasized. Also, special emphasis is placed on the role of public relations in the communicative crisis management of athletes and sports organizations. The importance and function of public relations in the sports industry is presented through case studies.
- Theoretical concepts of public relations
- The importance of public relations in sports and the sports industry
- PR tools
- Earned, Owned and Paid Media
- Public relations programs
- Research and evaluation of PR actions
- The use of social media as a PR tool by sports organizations
- Communicative crisis management
- Analysis of case studies of the implementation of public relations actions.
COURSE: ETHICAL AND DEONTOLOGICAL ISSUES IN SPORTS COMMUNICATION
The course “Ethical and Deontological Issues in Sports Communication” examines the ethics and deontology related to communication in sports. Students will study the role of sports communication in society, its impacts, and how it affects athletes, fans, and the sports industry. The course addresses various ethical and deontological issues concerning sports journalism, athlete promotion, the use of social media, doping, athlete privacy, nationalist rhetoric, and symbolism related to sports events, gender issues in sports, communication of issues related to vulnerable social groups, hate speech, and other topics related to communication in sports. Additionally, students will analyze case studies of sports communication and develop skills in analyzing and critically thinking about the ethical dilemmas faced by those involved in sports. Among the objectives of the course are familiarization with the basic ethical and deontological issues in sports communication, understanding the role of sports journalism and its impacts, analysis and critical processing of cases related to ethical dilemmas in sports, and the development of skills and abilities in the field of sports communication with sensitivity to ethical and deontological issues.
COURSE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This module introduces students to different research methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, in the social sciences. The variety and continuous evolvement of methodological approaches in social sciences research necessitate that we keep track of developments in the field and help students familiarise themselves with the application of multiple approaches.
Students in this module will also learn how to plan and carry out a study, and how to produce quantitative and qualitative research results, which will equip them with appropriate skills and knowledge for responding to any future research “challenge”. Finally, students will become familiar with specialised software for analysing quantitative and qualitative data.
COURSE: MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTIONS OF SPORTS CONTENT
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the multimedia production of sports content, starting from the presentation of the basic elements of a multimedia production (text, image, sound, video and graphics) and the role they play. Through theoretical teaching and practical training using free or open-source editing software, this course will equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to create multimedia productions in subjects related to sports. The course syllabus contains the following:
- Principles of sound recording, photo and video shooting. Different types of microphones and cameras will be analyzed depending on the needs of various content productions.
- Principles of image editing
- Principles of audio and video editing through the use of open source or free software. Different forms of narration and editing techniques will be addressed in order to convey sports information correctly.
- Key elements of digital narrative structure
- Script writing and storyboard creation as the first steps for structuring a multimedia narrative
COURSE: MANAGEMENT OF SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS
The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the theoretical field of the Organization and Administration of Sports Organizations, with an emphasis on the organization and operation of the press and communication department of a sports organization (club, federation, agency, etc.). Initially, students will familiarize themselves with the basic concepts and principles of organizational theory, as well as with the main management theories in their historical development. They will then focus on the structure and organizational design of sports organizations, as well as studying their organizational culture. They will also analyze the external environment of a sports organization, which is a vital element when making decisions about its communication policies, while examining the results of different communication approaches when working with sports personalities and the media.
All organizations constitute social systems where humans have a central place at their core. They are made up of people who (co)work to create and offer a good/service. In recent years, the task of managing employees has become much more difficult due to rapid changes in the business environment. Because of these developments, this course focuses on the contemporary and practical issues of how to organize and manage people in the workplace and examines theoretical perspectives that help understand the complex relationship between employer and employee to facilitate the organization and production of goods and services . Students will deal, among other things, with the staffing of sports organizations and the development and motivation of their staff.
COURSE: MARKETING & COMMUNICATION IN SPORTS
The Marketing and Communication in Sports course enables students to immerse themselves in special techniques, modern trends and innovative methods in the marketing and advertising of sports. The history of sports marketing and the role of technology in its development, the development of strategic marketing plans, the different advertising and marketing techniques in sports such as sponsorships, and the personal branding of athletes are discussed. At the same time, current trends and developing technologies that affect sports marketing are presented and reflections are raised regarding the challenges presented by sports communication today.
COURSE: LEGAL ISSUES IN SPORTS
The purpose of the course is to introduce students to an understanding of the basic structure and distinctions of sports in Greece and internationally. Through theoretical teaching as well as the practical exercises, the students will get to know basic concepts and the basic legal rules that govern the operation of sports.
The course aims at a substantial understanding of the functioning of sports from a legal point of view, so that upon its completion, students will be able to search the law and regulations for issues they face, to understand the basic differences between the various forms of sports activity and the basic principles that govern the presence and operation of the institutional legal and natural persons of sport (associations, associations, federations, joint-stock companies, TAA, athletes, coaches, referees, administrative officers, etc.).
During the lectures, students will have the opportunity to apply the basic principles and theories in practice through case studies, contact with professionals, formulation and presentation of assignments.
COURSE: PEDAGOGY AND COMMUNICATION IN SPORTS
The purpose of the course is the essential understanding of concepts of pedagogical science as a whole, as well as pedagogy in the field of sports and its communication.
The aim of the course is to provide students with the appropriate knowledge to gain a broad understanding of the basic parameters and modern theories and trends of pedagogical science in the field of sports and its communication.
More specifically, in this course the students will understand and be able to properly integrate into their professional activity issues related to: a) the development of children and adolescents, b) the ways of learning, adaptation and behavior of students/athletes both in school, as well as in other organizational environments (e.g. sports clubs), c) the interaction of students/athletes with their instructor and the ways of communication on a group and individual level, and d) contemporary problems in pedagogy and effective teaching approaches, with an emphasis on sports education. In addition, the course will discuss the sociological and cultural implications of sport and the way it is taught and communicated.
During the lectures, students will have the opportunity to apply the basic principles and theories in practice, through active examples and good practices, as well as contact with active teachers and distinguished scientists in the field.
COURSE: SPORTS, MEDIA AND SOCIETY
The aim of the course is to explore sports as a social, political, economic, and cultural phenomenon. The course will develop topics concerning the relationship between professional sports, amateur sports, and society, as well as the implications of this relationship. During the lectures, students will have the opportunity to apply basic principles and theories in practice, through case studies, interaction with professionals, and the development and presentation of assignments.
COURSE: BIG DATA AND VISUALIZATION IN SPORTS JOURNALISM
The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the concept of data and big data as well as the role they play in modern sports journalism. In today’s world, news is generated from multiple sources and consists of many different forms of data. Their digitization led to ease in editing, storage and transmission. The ability of journalists to collect, process and be able to visualize data is gaining more and more value in the highly visualized age we live in. Data journalism, then, is a method of writing news through the investigation and use of statistics derived from databases. The course provides an in-depth understanding of how data and big data are reshaping the sports journalism landscape and offers hands-on experience in harnessing the power of data visualizations to effectively communicate complex narratives.
As in recent years there has been increased accessibility to public data which are easily presented through visualization tools, the course aims at the essential understanding of the use of data and big data to give a more representative form of a topic/news through (interactive) electronic content, and data visualization tools, such as tables, graphs, maps. It basically aims to make it easier for the journalist to tell a complex story through attractive visualizations. Students will explore the concepts, tools and techniques integral to data-driven sports stories and develop a fundamental understanding of data analysis as it can be applied to sport. By examining real case studies and working on assignments, students will gain hands-on experience in finding, analyzing and visualizing sports-related data to develop creative sports narratives.
COURSE: DISSERTATION
The main purpose of the Dissertation is to deal with and solve, at a theoretical and applied level, issues that are included in the academic subjects of the Post Graduate Program by synthesizing and making use of the knowledge acquired in the previous two semesters of studies. Through the preparation of the DE, postgraduate students are invited to acquire the competence to manage complex problems concerning the scientific field of Sports Communication and/or to implement an idea in this field. It is a comprehensive work of weighting importance of distinct stages. At the same time, postgraduate students should be able to clearly present the study, research and/or implementation through an extensive scientific written text as well as through a complete presentation.
The Diploma Thesis can belong to the following categories:
- Research/Theoretical where the focus is on expanding studied phenomena with potential applications in solving them
- Application (project) where the focus is on developing a new application in a field of interest using one or more software packages or tools
The importance of the Thesis is important and weighty. In this context, involvement in topics that are at the cutting edge of science, original and of research interest is encouraged.
The stages of preparing the diploma thesis can be summarized in the following:
- Description and analysis of the topic
- Analysis of the current situation, literature review
- Definition of research field (research questions or hypotheses, objectives and perspectives)
- Description of the followed methodology and research tools for the implementation of the work
- Data collection and/or application implementation
- Results from the chosen form of analysis (statistics, content analysis, practical application)
- Conclusions derived from research results combined with prevailing theories
- Writing text
- Create a presentation