NGO communication and activism via electronic media: Australian evidence

Abstract

Non-government organisations (NGOs) communicate their ideas and views in a variety of ways, but electronic means are becoming more pervasive. Most NGOs have a website and many provide free information through subscriptions to electronically mailed newsletters and updates. Communication between NGOs and corporate entities, in particular, is an area that has not been investigated to a large extent, even though research on companies' social and environmental record has regularly referred to the influence of NGOs on corporate reporting practices. The purpose of this study is, therefore, twofold. It examines the Australian websites of eight large NGOs and provides an assessment of each site based on an evaluative framework. It then provides a more in-depth investigation into one of those elements: action or activism. In particular, the paper considers if and how NGOs engage in activism directed at companies or corporate entities via their webpages and through email. The results show that the websites of the sample NGOs are generally of good quality aesthetically, and provide relevant information on issues and campaigns. They do use their websites for activist purposes, but most commonly information on websites for activist purposes, but most commonly information on websites that refers to companies concerns relationships and partnerships, rather than providing any negative views or challenging corporate activities.