Is charity journalism fading?

Journalists and charities have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship over several decades.

 

For reporters and feature writers, across broadcast, print and online, charities have provided a strong source of stories over the years, supplying fascinating and emotional human-interest content about their workers and beneficiaries, as well as providing engaging research.

 

For charities, journalists have helped garner considerable publicity for their missions, fundraising, and lobbying activities.

 

However, the symbiosis between the two industries is beginning to look a little different. A survey of 152 journalists carried out by charity specialist market researchers nfpSynergy found that reporters and editors are increasingly pessimistic that this relationship will survive in the future.

 

 

Changing relationship

 

Journalists participating in the survey were asked whether they thought their role would be more or less important to help charities get their message out in five years’ time.

 

More than a fifth (21%) said they believe their role in helping charities will be ‘somewhat or much less important’ by 2026. Just 17% said the same when the question was posed in 2017.

 

The proportion of journalists who think their role will be more important is falling too. Nearly two in five journalists thought their role in helping charities would become more important after 2017, but this number has since dropped four percentage points to just over a third (34%).

 

 

Rise of social media

 

The journalists surveyed gave more detailed responses as to why they believe their future role in promoting charities will lessen moving forwards.

 

The most frequently cited reason was the rise in social media and how successful charities are becoming at attracting attention through their own Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media accounts.

 

This success is effectively means that many charities are bypassing traditional mainstream media and journalists.

 

One journalist from The Independent said bluntly that “charities can do it themselves on social media”.

 

One freelance journalist added: “Journalism as we know it is dying and charities are increasingly getting their message across through social media”, while another respondent said that “social media has democratised the sharing of information”.

 

“People are no longer solely reliant on journalists to receive news and hear about campaigns,” they continued, adding that this is “a trend that will only increase in years to come”.

 

 

Are charities missing out?

 

While charities are becoming increasingly savvy in using social media to get their message across, many journalists surveyed believe the third sector is missing out on a vital source of engaging with the public and stakeholders.

 

They stress that traditional media reach and clear presentation of stories is far more capable of attracting a broad audience than charities’ relying on users stumbling upon stories on their social media feed.

 

“Stories in hard copy newspapers are also on the paper’s websites and across the whole gamut of social media. That makes the reach of such stories immense,” said one Daily Express journalist.

 

Journalists also point out that they have distinct skills as storytellers and, as noted by nfpSynergy,“are often able to write compelling human stories that truly grip people”.

 

One Telegraph journalist used the recent example of the mainstream media’s coverage of the late Sir Captain Tom Moore’s record-breaking sponsored walk for NHS Charities Together.

 

“Journalists retain an important role as an invaluable ‘third party’ in ensuring a charity message is conveyed across all media platforms, and that that message is promoted in a very effective way,” said this national newspaper journalist.

 

“Yes, charities can do their own social media, but media organisations still retain huge scope. Captain Tom succeeded because the local media and then global media got behind him – and the world’s public followed.”

 

nfpSynergy points out that the large audience that journalism attracts could be particularly vital to attracting funding post-COVID-19, adding that fundraising income has dropped from 69% before the pandemic to 55% in March 2021.

 

 

Social media and disinformation

 

Another reason charities are urged to engage with journalists is because they are a trusted source amid the rise of fake news and misinformation on social media.

 

This includes the rise in conspiracy theories online, which are leaving social media users unsure “what is true and what is not”, says nfpSynergy.

 

As one journalist from the Daily Express told nfpSynergy, “the role of credible journalists to convey messages in an age where it is sometimes difficult to know what is fact and fiction, especially on social media, makes it more important than ever.”

 

 

Is journalism fading?

 

There’s no doubt that the traditional relationship between journalists and charities is under threat from social media.

 

Charities are becoming increasingly savvy at using social media to reach their communities and the public directly.

 

But charities may be advised to ensure they are combining these skills with continuing to engage with journalists, as a trusted source of news with a broad audience.

 

This is especially the case in an era of increasing social media disinformation and rising competition among charities for donations and funding.