He Will Never Walk Outside of a Prison Again: An Examination of Twitter Users’ Responses to the Larry Nassar Case

Abstract

To successfully manage a crisis in sports, it is necessary to examine the public’s emotions and other emotion-related responses. Without this knowledge, an organization will likely be disconnected from the needs of the public. Inspired by the key constructs in the integrated crisis mapping model, this study examined emotion, coping, and responsibility attribution through a content analysis of tweets during the Larry Nassar scandal involving Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. This study analyzed a sample of 3,088 tweets generated by the public several days following the sentencing of Larry Nassar. The findings had both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, the findings provided an extension of emotions examined and suggested ways in which the model could be expanded to accommodate varied crisis situations. Furthermore, the study revealed important findings regarding levels of attributions and the relationship of the public’s emotions and attribution of responsibilities. On a practical level, the findings offered tangible suggestions for sports communication managers when developing appropriate strategies and tactics considering public sentiments such as emotions, coping strategies, and attributions on social media.