By Andrea Thornbury from NICVA
Published on 14 Oct 2005
Reporting on Civil Society. Assessing the media's view of civil society in Northern Ireland.
NICVA
Date Published:
13 oct 2005
Publication Cost:
Free
The role the media plays in articulating the message ofcivil society to the general public is increasingly becoming more important. In 
State of the Sector III two thirds of organisations felt that in that future the media were going to increasingly hold the sector to account and a further eight of out ten organisations felt that getting the core message of thecivil society organisations across to the media will become increasingly important.
That was three years ago, so the simple question is, has anything changed? Does the media accurately report upon the activities ofcivil society? Is there an inclination in the media towards only ever reporting the bad news stories? Are the types of messages we are trying to convene to the general public via the media really making an impact?
Research conducted for NICVA by Liz Fawcett Consulting and Democratic Dialogue examined how the media portrays the activities of civil society in Northern Ireland. This research was part the Civil Society Index (CSI) research project, co-ordinated by the CIVICUS global alliance of civil society organisations and individuals. The CSI project is assessing the state of civil society in over 60 countries throughout the world.
The research had two aspects. First, a content analysis was conducted of selected output from the main public-service broadcaster, its commercial rival, the principal regional daily and five local weeklies, during September and October 2004. Secondly, this quantitative research was complemented by a mainly qualitative assessment of coverage of two topical items: hate crime and water charges.
The content analysis revealed that, while there were variations between media organisations, civil society organisations received a reasonably good show. This was true in terms of the volume of coverage and the positive light in which such organisations were by and large cast.
In both cases, a more proactive and investigative editorial approach would have avoided these pitfalls. The issues would have been subjected both to more adequate analysis for the reader/viewer/listener, while a more personal dimension could have been injected into the stories.
From the perspective of civil society organisations, the quantitative research indicates that a reasonably fair media wind can be expected for those who produce professional media releases and associated material. And they can perhaps help remedy the deficiencies identified in the case studies, by supplying the media with background facts and analysis, as well as offering (where feasible) individual stories that can add a human face to the issue.
More information
For further information on this research contact Gordon McCullough
Gordon McCullough
028 9087 7777
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