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The Role of the News Media in Influencing Corporate Environmental Sustainable Development: An Alternative Methodology to Assess Stakeholder Engagement

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  • Janet Haddock‐Fraser

Abstract

This paper investigates how UK newsprint media represent corporate environmental sustainable development activities, and whether they focus on particular sectors or companies with greater market visibility. This builds on, and looks to explain, previous findings that such companies are more active environmental reporters than their counterparts. It presents a novel approach, using content analysis of news media reporting, to implicitly measure consumer opinion ‐ an alternative to the more usual directed‐survey techniques. The implications of this research are substantial, providing an alternative method for academics and corporations to assess the extent to which the market is informed of, and interested in – in this case ‐ environmental performance, without the need for, or to supplement, costly and often inconsistent attitudinal surveys. Use of this approach could bring substantial benefits to corporate and public policy research approaches, providing a means of measuring enduring societal attitudes – whether for particular segments, target markets or nations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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  • Janet Haddock‐Fraser, 2012. "The Role of the News Media in Influencing Corporate Environmental Sustainable Development: An Alternative Methodology to Assess Stakeholder Engagement," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(6), pages 327-342, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:19:y:2012:i:6:p:327-342
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.282
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