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Title Irish Times coverage of Irish relief and development nongovernmental organisations, legitimacy and accountability, 1994-2009: analysis and implications for the role of nongovernmental organisations Author(s) Hughes, Marguerite Publication date 2012-02 Original citation Hughes, M. 2012. Irish Times coverage of Irish relief and development nongovernmental organisations, legitimacy and accountability, 1994- 2009: analysis and implications for the role of nongovernmental organisations. DSocSc Thesis, University College Cork. Type of publication Doctoral thesis Rights © 2012, Marguerite Hughes http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Item downloaded http://hdl.handle.net/10468/523 from Downloaded on 2017-02-12T08:05:23Z Irish Times Coverage of Irish Relief and Development Nongovernmental Organisations, Legitimacy and Accountability, 1994-2009: Analysis and Implications for the Role of Nongovernmental Organisations Marguerite Hughes, BA, MA Submitted in part fulfilment of the Degree of Doctor of Social Science (DSocSc) School of Applied Social Studies, National University of Ireland, Cork Head of School: Prof. F. W. Powell Supervisor: Dr. Orla O’Donovan Submission Date: February 2012 i Contents Declaration iii Abstract iv List of Tables v List of Figures vi List of Abbreviations viii Acknowledgments ix Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Irish Relief and Development NGOs: Why Now is the Time to Adopt New Roles 13 Chapter 3 Why Legitimacy and Accountability are Relevant for NGO Roles 53 Chapter 4 Why Newspaper Coverage of NGOs, Legitimacy and Accountability is Relevant for NGO Roles 80 Chapter 5 Philosophy and Methods 105 Chapter 6 Results 135 Chapter 7 Discussion 168 References 185 Appendices A Irish Daily Newspaper Readership Statistics 205 B Coding Protocol 206 C Full List of NGOs 243 D Procedures Used to Identify Search Terms 246 E Image of Nexis UK Search Engine 250 F Article Searching and Filtration Procedures 251 G List of Articles Included 255 H Image of Excel Coding Sheet for Variables 1-5 261 I Kappa Calculation Matrices for Variables with Low Coding Variations 262 ii Declaration I hereby confirm that the thesis submitted is my own work and has not been submitted for another degree, either at University College Cork or elsewhere. Signed: _______________________ Date: ___________________________ Marguerite Hughes iii Abstract The overall aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which and ways in which Irish relief and development nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) were linked with the concepts of legitimacy and accountability in Irish Times newspaper coverage between 1994 and 2009. This research was based on a quantitative content analysis of 215 Irish Times articles and the results were analysed using statistical methods. Key findings of the research included that NGO accountability received significantly more coverage than NGO legitimacy, “principal-agent” approaches to NGO accountability received significantly more coverage than “stakeholder” approaches to NGO accountability, and questioning of NGOs based on either their accountability or legitimacy was very limited. It is suggested that these findings may indicate both a failure by Irish NGOs to promote “development literacy” and global solidarity among the Irish public, and a limited degree of “development literacy” and global solidarity among the Irish public. iv List of Tables 2.1 Irish ODA, selected years 1974-2009 32 2.2 2009 income of selected Irish NGOs 38 2.3 Percentage of total income raised as voluntary funds in Ireland 42 by MAPS partners 5.1 Kappa reliability results and selected interpretations thereof 126 6.1 Characteristics of Irish Times articles analysed 137 6.2 Number of Irish Times articles containing reference(s) to specific named 160 NGO(s) questioning or disputing the accountability of others 6.3 Number of Irish Times articles containing reference(s) to others 160 questioning or disputing the accountability of specific named NGO(s) 6.4 Number of Irish Times articles containing reference(s) to specific named 161 NGO(s) questioning or disputing the legitimacy of others 6.5 Number of Irish Times articles containing reference(s) to others 161 questioning or disputing the legitimacy of specific named NGO(s) v List of Figures 5.1 Chronological overview of this research 119 5.2 Inclusion and exclusion criteria for newspaper articles 120 6.1 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) to 138 NGO accountability or NGO legitimacy 6.2 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 139 NGOs to NGO accountability or NGO legitimacy 6.3 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 141 others to NGO accountability or NGO legitimacy 6.4 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 143 NGO(s) to NGO accountability 6.5 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 143 NGO(s) to NGO legitimacy 6.6 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 144 others to NGO accountability 6.7 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 144 others to NGO legitimacy 6.8 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) to 145 NGO accountability that imply principal-agent or stakeholder approaches 6.9 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 147 NGOs to NGO accountability that imply principal-agent or stakeholder approaches 6.10 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 149 others to NGO accountability that imply principal-agent or stakeholder approaches 6.11 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 151 NGO(s) to NGO accountability that imply principal-agent approaches 6.12 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 152 NGO(s) to NGO accountability that imply stakeholder approaches 6.13 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 152 others to NGO accountability that imply principal-agent approaches vi 6.14 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) by 153 others to NGO accountability that imply stakeholder approaches 6.15 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) in which low NGO 154 administration costs are presented as desirable or the validity or which as an indicator of NGO quality is questioned 6.16 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) to 157 NGO(s) questioning or disputing the accountability of others 6.17 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) to 158 NGO(s) questioning or disputing the legitimacy of others 6.18 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) to 158 others questioning or disputing the accountability of NGOs 6.19 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) to 159 others questioning or disputing the legitimacy of NGOs 6.20 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing references to 162 others questioning or disputing the accountability of NGOs in general or specific named NGOs 6.21 Number of Irish Times articles (1994-2009) containing reference(s) to 163 others questioning or disputing the legitimacy of NGOs in general or specific named NGOs vii List of Abbreviations ABC Audit Bureau of Circulations ANOVA Analysis of Variance DAC Development Assistance Committee (OECD) DFID Department for International Development (UK) EEC European Economic Community EU European Union GNP Gross National Product HAP Humanitarian Accountability Partnership HDI Human Development Index IAPI Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland IMF International Monetary Fund INGO International Nongovernmental Organisation MAPS Multi-annual Programme Scheme MDGs Millennium Development Goals MSF Medicins Sans Frontieres NGO Nongovernmental organisation NPM New public management ODA Overseas Development Assistance OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PCD Policy Coherence for Development PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper SAI Sociological Association of Ireland SRA Social Research Association UCC University College Cork UN United Nations VMM Volunteer Missionary Movement VSI Voluntary Service International viii Acknowledgments While those who have assisted me in the production of this thesis are too numerous to mention, I would like to single out the following for particular attention. Firstly, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Orla O’Donovan, who has been unfailingly generous with her time and support. Thanks to the Doctorate of Social Science course team and, in particular, to Prof. Alastair Christie, Dr. Claire Edwards and Dr. Máire Leane, for designing and overseeing what I found to be a hugely enjoyable and fulfilling doctoral experience. Thanks to Rosie Meade and Paul Beirne from UCC for reading my thesis in full and providing detailed feedback. Thanks to my co-learners on the “DSocSc” for providing an abundance of informal support, encouragement and light relief. Finally, thanks to my precious family, Brian, Louis and Annie, on whose support I have relied so much and to whom this thesis is dedicated. ix Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction The 1994 Rwandan genocide, which resulted in the deaths of between 500,000 and 800,000 Rwandese, the internal displacement of at least 850,000 and the movement of over 1.5 million into neighbouring countries (Buchanan-Smith, 2003, p. 10) is widely recognised as a crucial moment in the recent history of relief