An Analysis of South Korean Sports Reporters and PR Agents

The purpose of this study was to examine sport reporters'' perceptions of the effectiveness of sport public relations practitioners'' influence tactics. This examination explored how sport reporters perceive sport public relations practitioners'' tactics using the components of Cialdini''s influence model. In particular, the following research questions were investigated: (a) How do Korean sport reporters perceive sport public relations practitioners'' tactics, based on the principles of Cialdini''s influence model? and (b) How do Korean sport reporters change their news content due to the sport public relations practitioners'' influence tactics? The findings indicated that among the sport public relations practitioners'' influence tactics, reciprocation was used as the usual method to determine the effectiveness of sport public relations practitioners'' influence practices in Korea. In this study, all sport reporters commented they had received gifts, dinner invitations, golfing, or drinks in order for sport public relations practitioners to affect their publication of sport articles.The responses of interviewees indicated different influences.