What is humanitarian news? A multi-sited study of how journalists define, debate and reproduce the boundaries of humanitarianism
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East Anglia
Department Name: International Development
Abstract
The rapid spread of new forms of digital media production and reception around the globe is often seen as bringing about a 'contemporary flourishing of humanitarianism' (Barnett and Weiss 2013:9). Yet no one has ever studied the world's largest humanitarian news agencies, whose output is regarded as highly influential for relief workers, policy makers and donors working in humanitarian response. In particular, we know almost nothing about such news agencies' approaches to humanitarianism, news-making, and the relationship between the two. Nor do we yet understand much about the distinctive characteristics of the texts humanitarian news agencies produce.
The main objective of this research is to remedy this situation by conducting a 12 month comparative analysis of two major global sources of humanitarian news, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) and the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF). This is made possible by the unprecedented level of access to these organisations we have been able to achieve. Indeed, we have already been conducting a small-scale pilot study with IRIN since January 2015 in which we have tested our methodology, refined our research questions and developed a suitable project management model.
Our research will focus on three main areas. First, we are interested in what different people within these organisations think humanitarianism is. Does the concept of humanitarianism imply a certain threshold of suffering - either in terms of the number of people affected or the severity of the crisis? Is it more important to focus the immediate aftermath of a disaster or the slow-onset of chronic crises and efforts to prevent them?
Secondly, we are concerned with the ways in which the routines and practices of news production affect journalists' ability to pursue the forms of humanitarian news that they value. How does physical location, online collaborative working and the use of different digital media shape humanitarian news content, for example?
Thirdly, we aim to investigate what distinguishes the actual outputs of IRIN and TRF from each other and from that of other news organisations - especially the BBC World Service (BBCWS) and Reuters. Do humanitarian news organisations represent suffering in distinct ways? How do they attribute responsibility and frame the consequences of humanitarian crises? What, if anything, is unique about their sourcing practices, and use of multi-media material?
In order to answer these three sets of research questions we will be conducting (1) extensive newsroom observations with IRIN, TRF, the BBCWS and Reuters, primarily in London, but also in Bangkok and Nairobi, (2) regular interviews with relevant journalists and editors and (3) a long-term content analysis and framing analysis of their outputs, over a 12 month period. Our model of project management involves fortnightly and quarterly team meetings, routine reporting to research partners and a reciprocal process of researcher skill-sharing, all overseen by a project mentor. The results of our study will be disseminated directly to IRIN and TRF and to academics in media studies, journalism studies and development studies as well as relevant news organisations, funders, regulators, public service broadcasters, the humanitarian sector and the general public. Results will be disseminated through social and mainstream media, academic articles, conference papers, an industry focussed final report and a 'fusion' dissemination event.
The main objective of this research is to remedy this situation by conducting a 12 month comparative analysis of two major global sources of humanitarian news, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) and the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF). This is made possible by the unprecedented level of access to these organisations we have been able to achieve. Indeed, we have already been conducting a small-scale pilot study with IRIN since January 2015 in which we have tested our methodology, refined our research questions and developed a suitable project management model.
Our research will focus on three main areas. First, we are interested in what different people within these organisations think humanitarianism is. Does the concept of humanitarianism imply a certain threshold of suffering - either in terms of the number of people affected or the severity of the crisis? Is it more important to focus the immediate aftermath of a disaster or the slow-onset of chronic crises and efforts to prevent them?
Secondly, we are concerned with the ways in which the routines and practices of news production affect journalists' ability to pursue the forms of humanitarian news that they value. How does physical location, online collaborative working and the use of different digital media shape humanitarian news content, for example?
Thirdly, we aim to investigate what distinguishes the actual outputs of IRIN and TRF from each other and from that of other news organisations - especially the BBC World Service (BBCWS) and Reuters. Do humanitarian news organisations represent suffering in distinct ways? How do they attribute responsibility and frame the consequences of humanitarian crises? What, if anything, is unique about their sourcing practices, and use of multi-media material?
In order to answer these three sets of research questions we will be conducting (1) extensive newsroom observations with IRIN, TRF, the BBCWS and Reuters, primarily in London, but also in Bangkok and Nairobi, (2) regular interviews with relevant journalists and editors and (3) a long-term content analysis and framing analysis of their outputs, over a 12 month period. Our model of project management involves fortnightly and quarterly team meetings, routine reporting to research partners and a reciprocal process of researcher skill-sharing, all overseen by a project mentor. The results of our study will be disseminated directly to IRIN and TRF and to academics in media studies, journalism studies and development studies as well as relevant news organisations, funders, regulators, public service broadcasters, the humanitarian sector and the general public. Results will be disseminated through social and mainstream media, academic articles, conference papers, an industry focussed final report and a 'fusion' dissemination event.
Planned Impact
The principal (non-academic) beneficiaries of our research will be the humanitarian news organisations we are working with directly - IRIN and TRF. Indeed, one of the main reasons why we have been able to gain such extensive research access to these organisations is because they recognise the potential benefits of our research and are seeking constructive critical feedback on their work (see Letters of Support). Specifically, the results of our interviews and ethnographic work will allow us to investigate whether dominant understandings of humanitarianism within each organisation lead to the privileging of certain perspectives within news output. The results of our content analysis will enable IRIN and TRF to identify both trends and gaps within their coverage, which may inform their editorial decision-making and strategic planning, as it has done for IRIN during our pilot study.
Our research will also have significant implications for other news organisations producing or aiming to produce humanitarian content - and for funders seeking to support it. We will be able to examine the viability and implications of different funding models for humanitarian news. In particular, given that both IRIN and TRF are largely foundation-funded, our research will shed-light on the potential role of philanthropic funders in shaping humanitarian news and the effectiveness of different strategies for preserving editorial independence. We already have a note of interest from Professor Banda at UNESCO, expressing interest in the implications of our research for the model journalism curricula he publishes, which includes a chapter on humanitarian journalism.
Our pilot study has shown that humanitarian news organisations not only reflect different understandings of humanitarianism, they actively shape dominant perceptions of the term. These definitions of humanitarianism have direct consequences for humanitarian actors, such as NGOs and international organisations, because they shape understandings of what are, and are not, legitimate and effective means of assisting vulnerable populations. By revealing the ways in which dominant discourses of humanitarianism are reproduced and/or challenged within the media, our research will encourage critical engagement with humanitarian news coverage within the humanitarian sector. Such insights may also be beneficial for media practitioners seeking to reflect critically on their own practice, and for fostering critical media literacy skills amongst the general public.
Broadcasters and policy makers with a remit related to international news will also benefit from our interrogation of the notion of humanitarian news. According to the Public Media Alliance - the largest global association of public service broadcasters and another of our project partners - providing 'international context in today's globalised world' is key pillar of public service media. One of the BBC's six public service commitments, for example, is to 'bring the world to the UK'. However, the vagueness associated with the idea of 'international content' means that it is often difficult either to assess the extent to which broadcasters are fulfilling this remit or even identify what aspects of coverage it refers to. Our research will provide relevant broadcasters, and associated regulators, with a clearer framework for understanding the different dimensions of international news coverage of humanitarian crises and for evaluating such content.
Our research will also have significant implications for other news organisations producing or aiming to produce humanitarian content - and for funders seeking to support it. We will be able to examine the viability and implications of different funding models for humanitarian news. In particular, given that both IRIN and TRF are largely foundation-funded, our research will shed-light on the potential role of philanthropic funders in shaping humanitarian news and the effectiveness of different strategies for preserving editorial independence. We already have a note of interest from Professor Banda at UNESCO, expressing interest in the implications of our research for the model journalism curricula he publishes, which includes a chapter on humanitarian journalism.
Our pilot study has shown that humanitarian news organisations not only reflect different understandings of humanitarianism, they actively shape dominant perceptions of the term. These definitions of humanitarianism have direct consequences for humanitarian actors, such as NGOs and international organisations, because they shape understandings of what are, and are not, legitimate and effective means of assisting vulnerable populations. By revealing the ways in which dominant discourses of humanitarianism are reproduced and/or challenged within the media, our research will encourage critical engagement with humanitarian news coverage within the humanitarian sector. Such insights may also be beneficial for media practitioners seeking to reflect critically on their own practice, and for fostering critical media literacy skills amongst the general public.
Broadcasters and policy makers with a remit related to international news will also benefit from our interrogation of the notion of humanitarian news. According to the Public Media Alliance - the largest global association of public service broadcasters and another of our project partners - providing 'international context in today's globalised world' is key pillar of public service media. One of the BBC's six public service commitments, for example, is to 'bring the world to the UK'. However, the vagueness associated with the idea of 'international content' means that it is often difficult either to assess the extent to which broadcasters are fulfilling this remit or even identify what aspects of coverage it refers to. Our research will provide relevant broadcasters, and associated regulators, with a clearer framework for understanding the different dimensions of international news coverage of humanitarian crises and for evaluating such content.
Organisations
- University of East Anglia (Lead Research Organisation)
- IRIN (Collaboration)
- United Nations (UN) (Collaboration)
- The New Humanitarian (Collaboration)
- Integrated Regional Information Networks (Project Partner)
- Public Media Alliance (Project Partner)
- International Broadcasting Trust (Project Partner)
- Thomson Reuters Foundation (Project Partner)
Publications
Bunce M
(2017)
'Our newsroom in the cloud': Slack, virtual newsrooms and journalistic practice
in New Media & Society
Bunce M
(2018)
The Oxford University Press Handbook of Journalism
Scott M
(2017)
Donor Power and the News The Influence of Foundation Funding on International Public Service Journalism
in The International Journal of Press/Politics
Scott M
(2021)
The Influence of News Coverage on Humanitarian Aid: The Bureaucrats' Perspective
in Journalism Studies
Scott M
(2018)
The State of Humanitarian Journalism
Scott M
(2019)
Foundation Funding and the Boundaries of Journalism
in Journalism Studies
Scott M
(2018)
The Routledge Handbook of Humanitarian Communication
Description | This study has involved interviews with nearly 200 journalists, news managers and media funders as well as extensive newsroom observations. This included fieldwork in London, Geneva, Washington, Bangkok and Nairobi. In addition, we completed major analyses of news content, and report on audience surveys with citizens and aid workers. We found that: • Very few international news organisations routinely cover humanitarian affairs. Only 12 news outlets reported on all four of the humanitarian events we analysed in 2016. Because of the high costs of producing regular, original journalism on humanitarian issues, commercial news organisations do not usually cover humanitarian issues, with the exception of major 'emergencies'. • Most humanitarian journalism is now funded by states or private foundations. This is worrying because claiming that particular actors or activities are 'humanitarian' is a powerful form of legitimacy. It is important that media about the suffering does not become a vehicle for commercial or political interests. • A major challenge of foundation funding is its unsustainable nature, as most foundations want to provide start-up money, rather than giving ongoing support. Meanwhile government funding can constrain where and how humanitarian reporting takes place because of foreign policy objectives and diplomatic tensions. • Journalists are often criticised for sporadic, sensationalistic and de-contextualised news coverage on conflicts, side-lining detailed analyses of long-running crises. But our research shows that news organisations which produce a lot of humanitarian coverage tend to do the opposite. They produce relatively few 'hard news' reports, focusing instead on detailed features, analysis pieces and some campaigning reports. • There were a number of important gaps in the topics that news reports addressed. Gender was treated in a very narrow way within humanitarian reporting during 2017. Almost no articles looked at the specific problems faced by women and girls in relation to the conflicts in Yemen and South Sudan. Many (largely female) journalists wanted to cover more varied stories about the issues faced by women and girls, but found it hard to get these stories commissioned. • News articles about humanitarian emergencies quote some sources of information far more than others. International organisations and NGOs were quoted frequently in reports on conflict, for example, while local citizens were not. Affected citizens made up only 16% of sources in coverage of conflict in South Sudan and just 12% of sources in reporting on Yemen. • Journalists are often accused of producing homogenous and decontextualised constructions of natural disasters. But news outlets vary enormously in how they cover these emergencies. For instance, we found that Thomson Reuters focused on breaking stories about dramatic and timely events, and reported with a largely Western audience in mind. By contrast, the specialist humanitarian news outlet, IRIN, wrote thematic pieces and analysis, targeted at a more global audience. • Audiences are interested in humanitarian journalism - more than journalists think. In a large-scale survey of international audiences (UK, France, Germany and the US), more people claimed to follow news about 'humanitarian disasters' (59%) either 'closely' or 'fairly closely' than any other type of international news. Another survey of 1600 people working in the aid sector found there was widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of most mainstream news coverage of humanitarian issues. Respondents said they wanted more investigative reporting and consistent coverage of ongoing crises. • Finally, newspaper headlines don't always have an immediate or direct effect on mass public perception of international aid. The Daily Mail's criticisms of international aid agencies "wasting money" do not seem to have damaged audiences' interest in, or commitment to, international aid. In addition, we have (1) developed a typology for defining 'humanitarian journalism', (2) developed and tested a model for explaining the workings of donor power within humanitarian journalism, (3) studied the influence on international journalism of adopting a virtual newsroom and (4) developed a model of how non-profit news organisations respond to "tainted" donors. |
Exploitation Route | The project directly benefits academic researchers through the empirical, theoretical, and methodological insights that it generates. Empirically, our research is the first to study news values and production in news organisations that explicitly self-define as humanitarian. Theoretically, our work explores whether it is possible to develop a typology or heuristic map of humanitarianism, and what these concepts look like when manifested in communication practice. Methodologically, this project involves the first substantive ethnography of a 'virtual newsroom'. As such, it provides methodological guidance, and a potential template, for scholars studying these emerging production spaces in the future. The principal non-academic beneficiaries of our research are the news organisations we are working with directly. The results of our content analysis will enable them to identify both trends and gaps within their coverage, which may inform their editorial decision-making and strategic planning. Our research will also have significant implications for other news organisations producing or aiming to produce humanitarian content - and for funders seeking to support it. Broadcasters and policy makers with a remit related to international news will also benefit from our interrogation of the notion of humanitarian news. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
URL | http://www.humanitarian-journalism.net |
Description | The principal non-academic beneficiaries of our research have been the news organisations we worked with directly. The results of our content analysis enabled them to identify both trends and gaps within their coverage, which have informed their editorial decision-making and strategic planning. Our research also has significant implications for other news organisations producing humanitarian content - and funders seeking to support it. Broadcasters and policy makers with a remit related to international news have also benefited from our interrogation of the notion of humanitarian news. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | Cited in Ofcom review of the international content of the BBC license |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Impact | In response to my submission and various others, the BBC Operating Licence has been amended to strengthen the commitment in the licence to international non-news content and, more importantly, to measure the amount of such content. Specifically, programmes with international themes are now required alongside history, science, religion etc. and Ofcom will now measure the volume and spend on factual content which delivers Purpose 1, international news and factual content. (Footnote 149 in the URL below). This should ensure that the BBC continues to produce significant amounts of international factual content. |
URL | https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/107070/bbc-performance-statement-annexes.pdf |
Description | UEA Impact Funding |
Amount | £17,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of East Anglia |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2016 |
End | 06/2018 |
Description | Collaboration with IRIN News on a survey of humanitarians |
Organisation | IRIN |
Country | Kenya |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We contributed to the design, distribution and analysis of a survey of the media habits of humanitarians. The survey was run jointly by IRIN News (a humanitarian news organisation) and this research team |
Collaborator Contribution | IRIN News designed and disseminated the survey and liased with a marketing company for support with it. |
Impact | IRIN News will be using this survey to re-design their own branding and their market positioning. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Collaboration with The New Humanitarian on audience research into subscription models |
Organisation | The New Humanitarian |
Country | Switzerland |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We are collaborating with The New Humanitarian to produce focus groups with their audience to investigate the best way of introducing an audience subscription model. |
Collaborator Contribution | The New Humanitarian are collaborating with usto produce focus groups with their audience to investigate the best way of introducing an audience subscription model. |
Impact | No outputs yet |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Collaboration with UN OCHA to study the role of media in shaping donor decision-making |
Organisation | United Nations (UN) |
Country | United States |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | We are collaborating with UN OCHA to study the role of media in shaping donor decision-making |
Collaborator Contribution | UN OCHA are collaborating with us to study the role of media in shaping donor decision-making |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Alliance Magazine reported on our research into intenational philanthro-journalism |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Alliance Magazine ran an article about our research into foundation-funded journalism |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/foundation-funding-is-influencing-reporting-in-international-j... |
Description | Article in The Conversation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | 'Voice of America struggle for independence highlights issue of state role in government-backed media' article in The Conversation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://theconversation.com/voice-of-america-struggle-for-independence-highlights-issue-of-state-rol... |
Description | Article published with El Pais newspaper |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I published an article on the El Pais (Spanish newspaper) site about our main research question - what is humanitarian news. This newspaper has a large reach in Spanish speaking countries. I received a number of responses for more information, as a result. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/05/05/planeta_futuro/1493977590_561035.html |
Description | Article published with Humanosphere |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I published an article on the humanitarian news site - Humanosphere (another of our study participants). The blog reflected on the state of humanitarian journalism. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.humanosphere.org/opinion/2017/06/reader-responds-humanospheres-hibernation-matters/ |
Description | Blog for BOND about our research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott wrote a blog for BOND about the 'state of humanitarian journalism' report. This led to an invitation to present at a BOND conference. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2019/01/humanitarian-journalism-in-crisis |
Description | Blog published on the Guardian |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Published an article in the Guardian about our research. 10,000 page views in the first week. Discussion about the article in the comments and online. The article was retweeted by DFID and was, for a time, on the front page of the Guardian site. I have been contacted by the NGO - BOND - about collaborating with them in fiture. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jun/23/does-the-daily-mail... |
Description | Cited in a news article about media coverage of aid |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott was interviewed for and quoted in a Devex news article about media coverage of aid |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.devex.com/news/more-bad-news-does-the-media-really-impact-how-the-aid-sector-works-92372 |
Description | Cited in a news article abut coverage of humanitarian crises |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott was interviewed for, and cited in an article for NPR in the US (with a very large reach) entitled - Why The Thai Cave Rescue Drew So Much Attention Compared To Other Crises? |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/07/10/627738100/did-we-care-more-about-the-boys-in-th... |
Description | Columbia Journalism Review reported on our research into philanthro-journalism |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott was interviewed for and cited extensively in an article for Columbia Journalism Review about our research into foundation funding of international news. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.cjr.org/analysis/foundation-funding-journalism.php |
Description | Endorsement of our research by UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs - Ursula Moeller - endorsed our research in two ways. Firstly, she recorded a supportive message to open our panel at the 2019 Humanitarian Partners Networking Week in Geneva here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51r-SD7L_X0 Second, she tweeted an endorsement here - https://twitter.com/UschiMuller/status/1097966713981800459 - saying - 'Despite humanitarian needs at record levels, very few international news organizations routinely cover humanitarian affairs. Very interesting report following 4 year project on state of #humanitarianjournalism by @martinscott2010, @meljbunce & @newsprof1'. The tweet also included a video and a direct link to our research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://twitter.com/UschiMuller/status/1097966713981800459 |
Description | Guest lecture |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | 30 undergraduate journalist students attended a guest lecture on 'funding humanitarian journalism' at City University, by Dr Martin Scott. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
Description | Interview by Inter Press Service |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott was interviewed by Inter Press Service about World Radio Day - drawing on the 'humanitarian news' research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/02/radio-the-original-social-media/ |
Description | Interviewed for a news feature about humanitarian journalism |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott was interviewed for and quoted in an article for the Colombia Journalism Review about humanitarian journalism |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/un_news_independent.php |
Description | Launch of the 'State of Humanitarian Journalism' report |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A panel discussion on humanitarian journalism was held at City, University of London, to launch a major new report from Martin Scott, Kate Wright and Mel Bunce. After the findings of the report were presented a panel of leading journalists and media commentators discussed the findings and their own experiences reporting on humanitarian crises. 'The state of humanitarian journalism' new research report and panel discussion Josephine Schmidt, Executive Editor at IRIN, the world's oldest humanitarian newswire James Copnall, Newsday presenter, BBC World Service Tom Law, Director of Campaigns and Communications, The Ethical Journalism Network Stefanie Glinski, Freelance journalist and photographer, currently based in Afghanistan. The panel was followed by a screening of Another News Story about the journalists who reported on the 2015 'refugee crisis' in Europe. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/humanitarian-journalism |
Description | Media coverage of our research into philantho-journalism by Non-Profit Quarterly |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The news outlet - Nonprofit Quarterly ran an article about our research into foundation-funded journalism, entitled - 'How Philanthropy Affects the Shape of Nonprofit Journalism' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2019/02/05/how-philanthropy-affects-the-shape-of-nonprofit-journalism... |
Description | News article for AidEx about our research into international philanthr-journalism |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott was interviewed for and cited extensively in an article about the research into foundation funding of international news - by Aidex |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.aid-expo.com/blog/233-the-hidden-consequences-of-foundation-funded-journalism |
Description | News coverage of our 'State of Humanitarian Journalism' report |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Our research was profiled in an article for ReliefWeb |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://reliefweb.int/report/world/state-humanitarian-journalism-october-2018 |
Description | News coverage of our 'State of Humanitarian Journalism' report |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Coverage of our 'State of Humanitarian Journalism' report by IRIN News. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.irinnews.org/content/irin-s-coverage-highlighted-2018-state-humanitarian-journalism-repo... |
Description | News coverage of our 'attitudes towards media coverage in the aid sector' report |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Our research was featured in an article by IRIN News |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.irinnews.org/about-us/2018/05/01/mainstream-media-coverage-humanitarian-crises-falls-sho... |
Description | News coverage of our 'mapping the funding landscape' report |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Our 'mapping the funding landscape' report featured in an article for the Pulitzer Centre. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/pulitzer-center-featured-report-foundation-support-international-jou... |
Description | Opinion piece published in IPS News |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott wrote a 1500 word opinion piece for IPS News about their 'State of Humanitarian Journalism' report. This article was also re-posted by AllAfrica.com and ReliefWeb. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/01/many-humanitarian-crises-reported/ |
Description | Presentation at Christian Aid staff meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott presented the results of the 'State of Humanitarian Journalism' report to 20 communications practitioners at a Christian Aid staff meeting in London. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation at IRIN News staff meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I presented the results of our research so far to our research partner - IRIN News - at their annual staff meeting on 22.8.17. This contributed to their ongoing discussions about their market positioning, branding and audience / editorial focus / priorities. The manager of IRIN News commented that, 'I found it enlightening... it was very useful and helped shape one of our identity activities the next day'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Presentation at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week, Geneva |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | All three investigators for this project hosted a panel at the 2019 Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week in Geneva - to present their research to communications staff at various UN departments. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://vosocc.unocha.org/GetFile.aspx?xml=rss/5553avUoDK9oBXk5WjCq32t1ttUfc38nDpek4dR1ieeonUgx_2704... |
Description | Presentation at the annual Humanitarian Networks and Partners week |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presented a summary of our research on humanitarian journalism. 50+ aid practitioners attended. Led to further research interviews. Further requests for presentations and requests for further information. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://vosocc.unocha.org/GetFile.aspx?xml=rss/6330FDLPpWbJ1Q0VsWD4oHuLl9uRebWPExkE3uGtpNoxIksx_B_32... |
Description | Presentation on a panel at the Imagine Belfast Festival of Politics and Ideas |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | Mel Bunce presented the results of our research at the Imagine Belfast Festival of Politics and Ideas, 2019 - on a panel called - 'In a world of Brexit and Trump is the media neglecting reporting on humanitarian issues?' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://imaginebelfast.com/ |
Description | Presentation on a panel at the annual BOND conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Kate Wright presented the results of our research on a panel at the annual BOND Development conference |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.bond.org.uk/sessions/rewriting-the-medias-tale-of-aid |
Description | Presentation to the NGO - 'The Syria Campaign'. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I presented the results of our research so far at the staff meeting of the NGO - 'the Syria campaign' on 13.12.17, for one hour. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Presentation to the ODI Humanitarian Policy Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | We presented the results of our research to members of the Humanitarian Policy Group at the think tank - the Overseas Development Institute |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Press release about our 'attitudes towards media coverage within the aid sector' report |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | We released a press release about our survey results |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://phys.org/news/2018-05-mainstream-media-coverage-humanitarian-crises.html |
Description | Press release for the 'State of humanitarian journalism' report |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We published a press release for our 'state of humanitarian journalism' report on the day of our event / launch. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/-/new-report-reveals-which-news-outlets-actually-report-on-humanitarian-... |
Description | Research blog |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | We published a research blog to launch our research, explain the rationale and draw attention to our research. This led to offers for participation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://humanitarian-journalism.net/blog/crisis/ |
Description | Research blog |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A research blog was published, entitled - 'How do we decide which humanitarian crises are under-reported? One tweet about this blog was re-tweeted 10 times. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://humanitarian-journalism.net/blog/under-reported-crises/ |
Description | Research featured by UN Dispatch |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Our report on 'attitudes towards media coverage within the aid industry' was featured in a report by the news organisation - UN Dispatch |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.undispatch.com/un-dispatch-among-the-top-sites-where-humanitarian-professionals-get-thei... |
Description | Research on foundation funding featured in API newsletter |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Our research featured in a newsletter by the American Press Institute |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/need-to-know/need-to-know-january-15-2019 |
Description | Research website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Our research website was published which informs participants and beneficiaries about both the intentions and outcomes of our research. In the first 2 months it has already produced requests for further information and participation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
URL | http://humanitarian-journalism.net/ |
Description | Tech4Dev conference presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | We presented our work on how humanitarian news is funded and how that shapes news content (or not) at conference - 'Digital opportunities for crisis work and international development'. This event marked the launch of the Newton Tech4Dev Network - a global consortium of practitioners and scholars aiming to advance research on digital technologies in the low- and middle-income countries. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://humanitarian-journalism.net/blog/presentationatleicester/ |
Description | Webinar with communications staff at UN-OCHA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott presented the results of the 'State of Humanitarian Journalism' report to communications professionals around the world in a webinar - for UN OCHA. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Wrote an article for Nieman Reports about out philanthro-journalism research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Martin Scott wrote an article for Nieman Reports about their research into foundation funded journalism |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://niemanreports.org/articles/whats-wrong-with-philanthro-journalism |