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Promoting Philanthropy? News Publicity and Voluntary Organizations in Canada
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2026
Abstract
This paper reports exploratory data from a broader study that examines media representations of the voluntary sector in Canada. It specifically identifies the resources and organizational attributes of Canadian voluntary groups that appear to be important for receiving mainstream news coverage. The data identifies four sets of characteristics of more than 500 voluntary organizations: demographic variables, association type, noneconomic resources, and economic expenditures. These characteristics are examined in terms of their relationship to news coverage. The data suggest that area of activity is significantly related to the amount of media attention that organizations receive. However, the amount of media attention that an organization receives is most strongly influenced by its yearly budget. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to both current debates about advocacy in the voluntary sector and important contextual developments that are transforming the communication environment in which charities and nonprofit organizations in Canada operate. We also draw comparisons to news coverage of the voluntary sector in other liberal democratic countries.
Résumé
Cet article présente des données extraites d’une étude plus large sur les représentations médiatiques du secteur bénévole au Canada. Il identifie spécifiquement les ressources et les caractéristiques organisationnelles des groupes de ce secteur qui apparaissent importantes pour pouvoir justifier d’une couverture médiatique de première importance. Les données permettent d’identifier quatre jeux de caractéristiques portant sur plus de 500 organisations: variables démographiques, type d’association, ressources non financières et frais financiers. Ces caractéristiques sont étudiées sous l’angle de leurs relations avec la couverture médiatique. Les données suggèrent que la localisation géographique et le domaine d’activité sont tous deux reliés de façon significative à l’importance de l’attention médiatique reçue par ces organisations. Cependant l’importance de cette couverture médiatique est très largement influencée par leur budget annuel. Les conséquences de ces découvertes sont étudiées à la fois en relation avec les débats actuels sur la défense du secteur bénévole et les développements contextuels importants qui transforment l’environnement de communication dans lequel travaillent les organisations caritatives et à but non lucratif du Canada. Nous établissons également des comparaisons avec la couverture médiatique du secteur bénévole d’autres pays de démocratie libérale.
Zusammenfassung
Dieser Aufsatz berichtet über explorative Daten aus einer breiten Studie, welche die Medienwirkung des ehrenamtlichen Sektors in Kanada untersucht. Er identifiziert insbesondere die Ressourcen und Organisationseigenschaften kanadischer ehrenamtlicher Gruppen, die offenbar wichtig sind, um von der MainstreamNachrichtenbericherstattung wahrgenommen zu werden. Die Daten identifizieren vier Sets von Charakteristika der mehr als 500 ehrenamtlichen Organisationen: demographische Variablen, Verbandstyp, nicht-ökonomische Ressourcen und ökonomische Ausgaben. Diese Eigenschaften werden in Bezug auf ihre Beziehung zur Nachrichtenberichterstattung untersucht. Auf der Basis dieser Daten wird vorgeschlagen, dass sowohl der geographische Ort als auch der Aktivitätsbereich in einer signifikanten Beziehung stehen zum Umfang der medialen Aufmerksamkeit stehen. Der Umfang der medialen Aufmerksamkeit, die eine Organisation bekommt, wird jedoch am stärksten durch ihr Jahresbudget beeinflusst. Die Implikationen dieser Ergebnisse werden diskutiert in Bezug auf aktuelle Debatten über Interessenvertretung im ehrenamtlichen Sektor und wichtige Kontextentwicklungen, welche die Kommunikationsumwelt, in der Wohlfahrtsorganisationen und Nonprofitorganisationen operieren, transformieren. Außerdem vergleichen wir diese Ergebnisse mit der Nachrichtenberichterstattung über den ehrenamtlichen Sektor in anderen liberalen, demokratischen Ländern.
Resumen
Este artículo informa sobre los datos exploratorios procedentes de un estudio más amplio que examina representaciones de los medios de comunicación del sector voluntario en Canada. Especificamente identifica los recursos y los atributos organizativos de los grupos voluntarios canadienses que parece ser de importancia para recibir la cobertura de las principales noticias. Los datos identifican cuatro grupos de características de más de 500 organizaciones de voluntarios: las variables demográficas, los tipo de asociación, los recursos no económicos y los gastos económicos. Estas características se examinan en terminos de sus relaciones con la cobertura de las noticias. Los datos sugieren que tanto la localización geográfica como el área de actividad estan significativamente relacionadas con la cantidad de atención que los medios de comunicación dedican a las organizaciones. Sin embargo, la cantidad de atención que los medios de comunicación prestan a una organización está más fuertemente influenciado por su presupuesto anual. Las implicaciones de estos descubrimientos se discuten en relación con ambos los debates actuales sobre la intercesión en el sector voluntario y los desarrollos contextuales importantes que estan transformando el ambiente de comunicación en las cuales las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro y de beneficiencia operan en Canada. También hacemos comparaciones de la cobertura de las noticias del sector voluntario en otros paises democráticos liberales.
Information
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , December 2004 , pp. 383 - 404
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2004 International Society for Third-Sector Research and The Johns Hopkins University
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