Corporate Social Responsibility in German Media Companies: Motivation and Integration into the Corporate Strategy

In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly important for companies in many business sectors. If we look at media companies, they are often attributed a so-called twin responsibility. For one, having the responsibility for their journalistic content and role as fourth power of the state, and on the other hand, due to their corporate responsibility. The qualitative interviews with CSR representatives of private and public German media companies made it possible to conclude the current status of the media companies’ understanding of their responsibility, their CSR strategies, and their activities. Although most media companies still refer to their specific responsibility through their editorial content (i.e., their public value), simultaneously, there is a growing awareness of corporate responsibility. The media companies name motivational factors for taking up CSR measures at the societal level (legitimacy and credibility, bringing about change for society and the environment) and on the corporate level (employer branding, changed competitive environment, intrinsic motivation). The main strategic similarities lie in the organization of CSR in task forces and CSR responsibilities located at higher corporate levels. However, it is still difficult to distinguish between the strategies of private and public media companies at this stage, as only some of the media companies interviewed have professionalized CSR yet.