Karen L. Hartman
Professor, Public Relations/ Sport Communication
Office: Frazier Hall 225
Education:
BA, Communication Studies, Furman University; MA, Speech Communication, University of South Carolina; PhD, Rhetoric and Public Address, Louisiana State University
Emphasis:
Corporate Communication, Public Relations, Sport Communication
Courses Taught:
COMM1101: Public Speaking; CMP1110: Media Writing; CMP2241: Introduction to Public Relations; CMP3346: Public Relations Writing; CMP3347: Sport Communication; CMP4446: Public Relations Campaigns; CMP4440: Sport Public Relations; CMP6630: Crisis Communication
My research interests revolve largely around the role of sport in the United States and how language and public relations efforts frame athletes, organizations, and laws. I have authored over a dozen peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and book reviews and my work has been published in the Journal of Communication Studies, International Journal of Sport Communication, Quarterly Journal of Speech, Academic Exchange Quarterly, and the edited volume The ESPN Effect: Academic Studies of the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
I teach eight different courses in our department that largely include the courses in the public relations curriculum, as well as a sport communication elective and a graduate seminar on crisis communication. One of my favorite things about teaching is seeing the transformation within students when they move a topic from a mere curiosity to something that becomes inspirational and fulfilling in their lives.
Beyond the classroom I enjoy marveling at the Pocatello scenery, playing with my daughter, and eating greasy bar food while watching sports. Go Bengals!
Selected Publications:
Hartman, K.L. (2026). FIFA and the World Cup double down on growth while existing in sticky crises. World Cup Analysis 2026: Mega Events, Media, and the Politics of Sport, https://worldcupanalysis.ws/world-cup-analysis-2026/fifa-and-the-world-cup-double-down-on-growth-while-existing-in-sticky-crises/
Hartman, K. L. (2024). The 1904 Fort Shaw girls’ world champion basketball team: Sport public relations, counterhegemony, and native athletes. Utah Journal of Communication, 2(2), 70-75.
Hartman, K. (2022). COVID-19, the NCAA, and Title IX: A time for gender equity. In A.C. Billings, L.A. Wenner, & M. Hardin (Eds.), American Sport in the Shadow of a Pandemic: Communicative Insights (pp. 193-207). New York: Peter Lang.
Hartman, K.L., & Woods L. (2021). How scansis functions: Lesson from the Houston Astros sign-stealing crisis, Relevant Rhetoric, 12, 1-17.
Gribas, J., DiSanza, J.R., Hartman, K.L., Carr, D.J, & Legge, N.J. (2021). Exploring the effectiveness of image repair tactics: Comparison of U.S. and Middle Eastern audiences, Communication Research Reports. 38(3), 150-160. DOI: 10.1080/08824096.2021.1909550
Awards & Honors
Keynote Speaker for 黑暗爆料网’s National Girls and Women in Sport Day. (2015)