Vince Benigni, PH.D.

Professor

Education  

Ph.D. in Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Georgia, 1999
M.A. in English, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, 1986  
B.A. in Journalism, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1983

Research Interest

Vince Benigni studies sports communication, primarily from a societal and fandom standpoint.  He also researches issues and trends in public relations pedagogy.   

 

Courses Taught

COMM 214 (Media in the Digital Age), COMM 216 (Principles and Practices of Strategic Communication), COMM 336 (Addressing Problems in Context; Sport and Society), COMM 580 (Seminar in Communication; Graduate)

 

Selected Publications

“Commodities of the Coaching Carousel in the Southeastern Conference: Twitter and the Nick Saban Effect” (Benigni, V.L. & Porter, L.V.). Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom (Coombs, D. & Osborne, A., eds.; Routledge, 2022).

“A Crisis of Cool: Baseball’s Race Against Time” (Benigni, V.L & Porter, L.V.). Social Media and Crisis Communication (2nd ed.; Jin, Y. & Austin, L., eds.; Routledge, 2022).

“Teaching Public Relations Campaigns” (Benigni, V.L. & Ruth-McSwain, A.), Learning to Teach: What You Need to Know to Develop a Successful Career as a Public Relations Educator (2016).

“The New Game Day: Fan Engagement and the Marriage of Mediated and Mobile” (Benigni, V.L., Porter, L.V. & Wood, J.C.), Handbook of Sport and New Media (2nd ed.; Billings, A. & Hardin, M., eds.; Routledge, 2016).

“Establishing a ‘Renown-Gown’ Relationship: The Role of Advisory Boards in Communication Programs” (Benigni, V.L., Ferguson, D.A., McGee, B.R.). Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 2011.

“True Maroon: A History of College of Charleston Athletics”, Inland Press, January 2008.

 

Honors & Awards 

  • CofC’s Distinguished Service Award recipient, 2015
  • CofC’s Excel Award for Outstanding Faculty of the Year, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2013
  • Department of Communication’s Chair Award, 2013, 2006, 2004
  • Department of Communication Distinguished Teaching Award, 2006

 

Press & Media

Author of 10 guest columns in various newspapers and websites since 2015. Has been quoted in hundreds of news outlets regarding topics ranging from sports media trends to presidential debates.