Can NGOs Do Journalism? Understanding the Information Work of Humanitarian and Human Rights NGOs

Matthew PowersAssistant ProfessorDepartment of CommunicationUniversity of Washington

DebatesArgument 1 NGOs expand the boundaries of journalism by providing credible reporting from multiple locales

Argument 2 NGOs threaten the autonomy of journalism and turn news media into a platform for advocacy.

Methods(1) Interview/Participant Observation

(2) Content Analysis

(3) Historical Analysis

reports: 

1987: 0.7 per week 2013: 1.9 per week

press releases: 

1987: 15.2 per week 2013: 30 per week

staff size:

Amnesty, 1970: 14 Amnesty 2013: 125

HRW, 1987: 6  HRW 2013: 150

countries reported

Amnesty 1978: 100 Amnesty 2013: 150

HRW: 1987: 50  HRW, 2013: 100

Credible Causal Stories(1) Violation

(2) Violator

(3) Remedy

Takeaways1) NGOs expand the boundaries of journalism by providing credible reporting from multiple locales

2) NGO reporting shaped by need for a specific type of credible, causal story.

Can NGOs Do Journalism? Understanding the Information Work of Humanitarian and Human Rights NGOs

Matthew PowersAssistant ProfessorDepartment of CommunicationUniversity of Washington