Date
2-13-2026
Department
School of Communication and the Arts
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Media (PhD)
Chair
Wes Hartley
Keywords
sports, journalist, criticisms, social media, self-perception, identity, gender, indifference, thematic analysis, communication theory of identity
Disciplines
Communication
Recommended Citation
Cooper, Hanna M., "The Role of Social Media Criticism in Shaping the Self-Perception and Professional Identity of Female Sports Journalists" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7946.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7946
Abstract
This research explored the types of criticisms female sports journalists receive on social media and the impacts these criticisms have on self-perception and professional identity through an emergent, qualitative research design. This research used the communication theory of identity as the theoretical framework. This dissertation aimed to explore the lived experiences of female sports journalists. The study included 23 semi-structured interviews with female sports journalists who covered football, baseball, or basketball and had an active X account. The experiences of the women were used to conduct a thematic analysis that discovered primary themes related to types of criticisms (gender, appearance, knowledge, team-related, performance), impact of self-perception (hurtful, indifferent, motivation for change), and impact on professional identity (second-guessing work, motivation to work harder, moving away from X, unconcerned). The findings of this study created a more holistic understanding of the criticisms female sports journalists receive and provided preliminary research into the impact of these criticisms.
