COM Student Takes First in National PR Case Study Competition

Noah Cavicchi, a COM graduate student about to complete his master’s degree in public relations, took home first prize this month in a national competition of original case studies in public relations.

The annual competition is sponsored by the Arthur W. Page Society, the world's leading professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives and educators, in alliance with the Institute for Public Relations.

Cavicchi’s paper and presentation, “Major League Soccer: Social Consciousness or Social Contentiousness,” explored the league’s responses to vocal opposition by fans to the presence of far-right activists and subsequent efforts to curtail all political speech at matches.

“Noah’s case study is a fascinating read about the fine line that organizations have to walk in our current environment of evolving consumer expectations of corporate behavior, hyper-partisanship, and cancel culture,” said Arunima Krishna, assistant professor of public relations. “It is a great resource for anyone interested in sports communication, crisis communication, corporate communication, or public relations in general.”

COM students Sarah Dasher and Olivia Zed were awarded the competition’s grand prize last year, for their case study, “Dove: A Purpose-Driven Brand in a Crisis of Sincerity.”