Zoe Tzanis is a 3rd-year PhD student in the Communication Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Their research focuses on how emergent technologies inform the way we move, think about, and define ourselves as athletes from professional to casual. Their work has appeared in Social Media + Society, Television and New Media, Communication and Sport, and Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, covering topics ranging from Strava to the World Cup. They hold bachelor's degrees in Journalism and Government from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh.
Representative Publications
Journal Publications
Bailey, H., Tzanis, Z. Woolley, S. (Under Review). Trustwashed: How AI Answer Engines Manufacture Credibility. Social Media + Society.
Tzanis, Z. (Under Review) Longing for what cannot be: Constructing Queer Utopia on Heated Rivalry Tumblr. Television and New Media.
Tzanis, Z. (2026) Co-producing Endurance: Strava and the Construction of the Professional Endurance Athlete. Social Media + Society. 12(3). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051261463859
Tzanis, Z. (2026). Co-framing the 2024 WNBA playoffs: ESPN’s deferential approach to selling misogynoir. Television and New Media. 0(0). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15274764261436364
Tzanis, Z. (2025). The Emergence of the Athlete-Creative: Negotiating Boundaries in Digital Sports Media. Communication & Sport, 0(0). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21674795251408024
Tzanis, Z. (2025). From allyship to erasure: German media and LGBTQ+ politics at the 2022 Men’s World Cup. Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 22(4), 478–496. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14791420.2025.2552678
Scholarly Reports & Research
Tzanis, Z. (2026). “Elevating the gritty city: Philadelphia and the World Cup politics of welcome. World Cup Analysis 2026: Mega events, media, and the politics of sport. https://worldcupanalysis.ws/world-cup-analysis-2026/elevating-the-gritty-city-philadelphia-and-the-world-cup-politics-of-welcome/
Hartzell, K & Tzanis, Z. (2023). “Win or Shut Up: Backlash and the 2023 Women’s World Cup” Politics in Sports Media 2023. The Center for Sports Communication & Media (CSCM) at The University of Texas at Austin. https://utexas.app.box.com/s/4kklatinde4lw3t5wnwsph9rdd9g40fn