Zoe He

Media and Communication Postgraduate Researcher

Project Title: A Critical Examination of the Purpose and Process of Sportswashing: Comparative Analysis of Saudi Arabia and the United States Across Different Political Contexts 

Supervisor/s: Florian Zollmann, Jonathan Ward, Jesus Salazar

I am a PhD student in Media, Culture and Heritage at Newcastle University, with a passion for exploring the intersection of sports, media, and public opinion.

I am also a graduate student in Public Relations from Newcastle University in 2022. My research focuses on the influence of big sports event on reputation management and its role in shaping state relations through sportswashing.

I am a PhD student in Media, Culture and Heritage at Newcastle University, with a passion for exploring the intersection of sports, media, and public opinion.

I am also a graduate student in Public Relations from Newcastle University in 2022. My research focuses on the influence of big sports event on reputation management and its role in shaping state relations through sportswashing.

My research interests revolve around the intersection of sports, media, and public relations, particularly in the context of football. I am fascinated by how global sports events are used for image building and state branding, and the ethical considerations surrounding these practices. This includes critically examining phenomena like sportswashing and their implications for international relations. Additionally, I am interested in the role of digital media in shaping public discourse and its impact on sports journalism.

My current doctoral research investigates how adult content creators, who perform hetero-masculinity, experience forms of labour across various digital platforms. I am interested in how hetero-masculine content creators navigate platforms such as OnlyFans, Instagram, and TikTok to sexually self-represent and disseminate erotic content in line with the varying affordances and limitations of digital spaces. Using queer oral history, the study explores how men – who employ performative traits of hegemonic masculinity and heterosexuality – marketize content to primarily gay male and queer audiences. Here, I negotiate how the production of user-generated pornography functions as an outlet for desire through the collaboration with other male bodies. Finally, I will focus on the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed hetero-masculine engagement with digital technologies via erotic and pornographic content creation.

 Beyond academia, I enjoy exploring cultural narratives through literature and cinema, as well as following international football leagues. As a language enthusiast, I continue practicing German and enjoy traveling to experience the intersection of culture and sport firsthand. Also, I am interested in anime and game culture.