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A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Nullmeier, Frank Working Paper Out of the public eye: The International Labour Organisation in the media ZeS-Arbeitspapier, No. 01/2014 Provided in Cooperation with: University of Bremen, Centre for Social Policy Research (ZeS) Suggested Citation: Nullmeier, Frank (2014) : Out of the public eye: The International Labour Organisation in the media, ZeS-Arbeitspapier, No. 01/2014, Universität Bremen, Zentrum für Sozialpolitik (ZeS), Bremen This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/96160 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. 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Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. www.econstor.eu Frank Nullmeier Out of the Public Eye – The International Labour Organisation in the Media ZeS-Working Paper No. 01/2014 WORKING PAPERS Zentrum für Sozialpolitik Universität Bremen Postfach 33 04 40 28334 Bremen Phone: 0421 / 218-58500 Fax: 0421 / 218-58622 E-mail: [email protected] Editor: Kristin Bothur http://www.zes.uni-bremen.de Design: cappovision, Frau Wild ZeS-Arbeitspapiere ISSN 1436-7203 2 Frank Nullmeier Out of the Public Eye – The International Labour Organisation in the Media ZeS-Working Paper No. 01/2014 Prof. Dr. Frank Nullmeier University of Bremen, Centre for Social Policy Research (ZeS) [email protected] 3 Politics takes place in public communication and is part of public communication. Today, public communication is sub- stantially determined by the media. This is also the case for the field of global social policy. The following study address- SUMMARY es the question of how global social policy and, in particular, the International Labour Organization (ILO) as the key player in global social policy, is discussed in the media. Are global social policy and the ILO visible at all in the media? To what extent is the organisation visible? How do the media report about the ILO and on what exactly does media coverage of the ILO focus? 4 WORKING PAPERS 01/ 2014 G N Politik vollzieht sich in öffentlicher Kommunikation. Und diese wird wesentlich durch mediale Angebote bestimmt. Das trifft auch auf die globale Sozialpolitik zu. Die vorlieg- ASSU ende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, wie globale So- zialpolitik — und insbesondere die Internationale Arbeitsor- NF ganisation (ILO) als deren zentraler Akteur — in den Medien dargestellt werden. Wie hoch ist die mediale Aufmerksam- keit für das Thema globale Sozialpolitik? Zu welchen Anläs- sen wird die Presse auf die ILO aufmerksam? Wie sichtbar ist die ILO als Organisation, als politischer Akteur und als Informationsgeber? Wie berichten die Medien über die ILO und welches Bild dieser internationalen Organisation entste- ht dadurch? ZUSAMME 5 6 WORKING PAPERS 01/ 2014 T N TE 1. Global Social Policy and the Media 8 N CO 2. The ILO in the Media 9 3. The ILO as Data Supplier and Norm Setter 13 4. Organisational Events, Political Programmes, and Leadership 16 5. Issues 20 6. The ILO – A Legitimate International Organisation 22 7. Summary 26 8. References 27 7 1. Global Social Policy and the Media Politics is not only played out in commit- ferent world regions occasionally reaches tees, at international conferences, and in the public on a global, national, and local negotiations between parties, diplomats, level. However, only very rarely are these heads of state and government. Civic pro- acts of selective attention accompanied by tests and social movement campaigns a debate that succeeds in putting the issue also do not complete the picture. Poli- on the political agenda for a longer time tics is inconceivable without the public or for that matter succeeds in shaping sphere. Politics takes place in public com- the options of core political institutions munication and is part of public commu- relevant in the field. What is more, the nication. Today, public communication is term global social policy is not present in substantially determined by the media. the media, global social policy is not per- This is also the case for the field of 'global ceived and labelled as a policy field, and it social policy'. The following study ad- only arouses public attention in the form dresses the question of how global social of single manifestations. There is a lack policy and, in particular, the International of an independent and delineable policy Labour Organization (ILO) as the key play- field that connects national social policy, er in global social policy (Deacon 2007; development policy, and the worldwide Hughes/Haworth 2011; Kott/Droux 2013), fight against poverty. is discussed in the media. Are global so- That global policies can have a com- cial policy and the ILO visible at all in the pletely different media effect can be illus- media? To what extent is the organisation trated by considering the example of cli- visible? How do the media report about mate policy. This policy field significantly the ILO and on what exactly does media arouses media attention; international coverage of the ILO focus? conferences are intensively observed A first preliminary response to the events worldwide (Couldry et al. 2010). questions is negative. Global social policy This is especially true for the UN Cli- has not yet become a political issue that mate Change Conference that took place manages to arouse broader public atten- in Copenhagen in 2009. The outstanding tion beyond the expert field of interna- public perception of this policy field is tional organisations (IOs). The financial connected to a framing that presents the market crisis and the subsequent Great latter as a compellingly global political Recession have not changed matters. issue. According to this framing, climate The issue of social regulation, worldwide problems are only to be solved through trade, global poverty, child and forced la- international cooperation or transnational bour, the suppression of trade unions, the interactions of citizens all over the world. non-compliance with health and safety at Social policy, on the other hand, is pre- work standards, and the development of dominantly identified to be a national is- youth unemployment and salaries in dif- sue. The notion that solutions can only be 8 WORKING PAPERS 01/ 2014 found globally or internationally does not governmental agreement on the baseline exist. Questions related to social security of these policies – as is the case in the are perceived to be dependent on national eurozone. Thus, the difference between economic performance and the interna- climate policy and global social policy tional competitiveness of national econo- could hardly be greater. While there is a mies. The global financial crisis and the high level of public attention for climate eurozone crisis have, indeed, deepened policy framed as a problem that can only the understanding of the functioning of be solved globally, global social policy is global economies. Yet, the task to cope lacking both media reception and a fram- with the social consequences of global ing that constructs social problems as a economic crises is attributed to national predominantly global issue. policies, even if there has been an inter- 2. The ILO in the Media This first summary approach towards the national is shaped by the global or how the role of global social policy in the media national political agenda opens itself to is- will be further examined by conducting a sues dealing with global policies, here be- detailed empirical investigation of the me- ing social policy, can be scrutinized. Ac- dia presence of the ILO, which is rich in cordingly, even if national public spheres tradition and politically still the most sig- are taken as a starting point, the study nificant organisation of global social poli- will have to focus on particular types of cy (Rodgers et al. 2009; Hughes/Haworth media, putting up with a certain degree 2011; Maul 2012; Kott/Droux 2013). As a of selectivity. In international communica- global actor, the ILO acts on a worldwide tion studies and in political sociology, it scale as far as its self-presentation and its has become common to select at least two press policy is concerned. The following quality newspapers of diverging political study takes national public spheres as a orientation for the study of national public starting point (Esser/Pfetsch 2004; Hal- spheres. Following this general standard, lin/Mancini 2004; Hardy 2008; de Vreese the present study analyses how often and 2013). This approach makes it possible to in the context of which issues the ILO is examine to what extent global social poli- mentioned in national public spheres (two cy and the ILO are present in the media on quality newspapers were chosen for each a national level – this is exactly the level country). The study conducts an analysis on which social policy has hitherto been of all articles that mention the ILO for a dealt with. Thus, the extent to which the time span of seven years (2006 to 2012). 9 It comprises articles dealing with the ILO the task of examining the media presence before and after the world financial crisis.