Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies as communication platforms for strategic messaging to influence the image and public perception of the host countries. Analysis of event content, intended messages, and US newspaper coverage of the opening ceremonies affirmed their usefulness in communicating host country messaging. Russia’s rich cultural heritage and South Korea’s theme of peace and unity received the strongest coverage for the respective events. In both cases, however, external factors emerged as news elements that influenced coverage. For Sochi, an embarrassing technical failure detracted from telling a positive story. In Pyeongchang, the addition of North Korea’s participation reinforced the ceremony’s primary theme of peace. The Winter Games opening ceremonies, while smaller in scale and reach than Summer Games, still present an opportunity for Olympic organizers to communicate key messages to a global audience through newspaper coverage.