Biography

Associate Professor of Communication Studies
Sports Communication & Media
Ph.D., University of Alabama

Lauren Reichart Smith (Ph.D. 2010) is an associate professor of sports media. As a former television producer, she worked in both the Atlanta and Birmingham television markets, and received an Emmy nomination in 2005 for her work. Lauren's main research area lies in mediasport—the intersection between sports and mass media. Her research focuses on the effects of sports media on our emotions. This focus has enabled her to complete research that focuses on issues of gender, race, and national identity. She has analyzed how athletes are portrayed in the media, what effects fan enjoyment, and attitudes and perceptions of athlete activism. 

Lauren was once an All-American gymnast and a Division I springboard diver. She is still an avid sports fan today, and counts down the days until football season. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband Kenny Smith. Lauren is currently a registered member of USA Triathlon and regularly competes in triathlons. She's a proud three-time Ironman finisher, and is a four-time qualifier of USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships.

Research Interests

Sports, sports media, media portrayals, athlete activism, media psychology

Recent Publications

Milford, M. & Smith, L.R. (2020). Communication and contradiction in the NCAA: Assessing the unlevel playing field of intercollegiate athletics. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.

Smith, L.R., & MacArthur, P.J. (2023, in press). Athletic insiders or nowhere men? NBC’s primetime television coverage of male figure skaters at the 2018 Olympic Games. Communication & Sport.

MacArthur, P.J., & Smith, L.R. (2021). Summon the American television heroes: nationalism in NBC's primetime television broadcast of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. International Journal of Sport Communication, 14(4), 466-485.

Smith, L.R., & MacArthur, P.J. (2020). Striking the balance: The portrayal of male and female athletes on NBC’s primetime television broadcast of the 2018 PyeongChang winter Olympic games. Electronic News, 14(4), p. 168-186.

Smith, L.R., Clavio, G., & Lang, A. (2021). Does visual framing drive eye gaze behavior? The effects of visual framing of athletes in an increasingly visual social media world. Media Psychology, 24(4), 562-579.

Smith, L.R., & Pegoraro, A. (2020). Media framing of Larry Nassar and the USA Gymnastics child sex abuse scandal. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 29(4), 373-392.

Smith, L.R., Myrick, J.G., & Gantz, W. (2019). A test of the relationship between sexist television commentary and enjoyment of women’s sports: Impacts on emotions, attitudes, and viewing intentions. Communication Research Reports, 36(5), 449-460.