1.30.2002 ET

(CSRwire) New York, London (January 30, 2002) - A new report on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development (SD) says the media have the most powerful influence on how people and politicians think about and act on CSR and SD, but typically overlook significant, longer-term trends in favour of dramatic and immediate news.

The report also finds that, as businesses themselves, key media institutions are amongst the least transparent and accountable organisations in the world, and are likely to come under increasing scrutiny in their own right.

The report, entitled Good News and Bad: The Media, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development, has been produced by SustainAbility and Ketchum, in co-operation with the United Nations Environment Programme. It was inspired by the upcoming World Summit for Sustainable Development in South Africa in September 2002, and the desire to reflect on how the CSR, SD and media agendas have evolved during the decade since the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.

Over fifty people were interviewed from diverse fields, including editing, reporting, advertising, business, research and campaigning, with the focus both on trends in CSR and SD media coverage as well as the media industry's own performance in this area. The report also analysed ten years of news media coverage regarding CSR and SD issues, including globalisation, ethical investment, climate change, genetic modification, and key non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace, Global Exchange and Transparency International.

Key findings include:

- There have been several waves in the CSR and SD movements, starting in the 1960s. We are currently entering the third ('globalisation') wave, which has gained momentum since the Seattle protests against the World Trade Organisation in 1999. September 11th has shaken the CSR and SD movements, and the long-term positive or negative ramifications remain to be seen.

- European media has led the way, typically acting as an incubator for many CSR and SD issues that are then picked up in the US and further afield. Oxfam, Greenpeace and Amnesty International in particular have been key drivers of CSR media coverage throughout the decade.
- The report indicates that US media are paying increasing editorial attention to CSR and SD issues, and US-based NGOs are becoming increasingly visible. While Asian and Latin American media have typically responded to issues raised elsewhere, there is increasing evidence that they are beginning to set their own agendas.

- Interviewees from the media industry are demanding better case studies and evidence from business and industry on their performance regarding key CSR and SD issues.

- Companies and organisations too often view media relations as a crisis management tool or "just PR", and need to develop a strategic and integrated approach to communicating with key audiences, including media, in order to build their confidence and ensure informed decision-making.

- The report forecasts that the media sector will attract growing scrutiny into its own CSR and SD performance from stakeholders, particularly socially responsible investors. One analyst observed that "about six players now own virtually all aspects of the media experience", but the report finds that few have switched onto the wider transparency and accountability agendas.

The report's authors, John Elkington and Francesca Müller of SustainAbility, said: "The editors and journalists we interviewed are among the best brains on the subject in the world, but they find these issues tough to communicate in a soundbite culture. While the media tend to cover dramatic events, such as anti-globalisation protests or the destruction of GM crops, there is typically less examination of the broad CSR agenda. As Greenpeace campaigner, Chris Rose, observed in our interviews - 'This is equivalent to covering economies by only reporting bank robberies.'"

Ketchum CEO, Ray Kotcher, said: "Businesses, whose brands are often the lightning conductor for CSR issues, need to have a strategic approach to communicating their CSR performance with a plethora of stakeholders, including the media. This isn't just about PR. Today's most progressive companies are putting these issues on the board agenda and at the heart of their decision-making. "

Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel of the United Nations Environment Programme said: "If media companies are to remain credible in the 21st century, they must increasingly look at their own corporate social responsibilities."

SustainAbility, Ketchum and the UNEP plan to publish a follow-up report in a year's time, to review evolving trends regarding media coverage of CSR - and what has been described by one media world CEO as "the biggest story of our times."


CONTACT INFORMATION:
Copies of the report are available for sale on our website www.sustainability.com or contact:
Emily Foskett
SustainAbility
11-13 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7LY
Ph: +44 (0) 207 245 1116
Fax: +44 (0) 207 245 1117
Email: foskett@sustainability.com

For further information on the content of the report, or for press copies and/or an interview with an author, please contact:
Francesca Müller
SustainAbility
11-13 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7LY
Ph: +44 (0) 207 245 1116
Fax: +44 (0) 207 245 1117
Email: muller@sustainability.com

NOTES:
1.SustainAbility is the longest established think tank and consultancy dedicated to developing the business case for sustainable development. Based in London and New York, the company has pioneered in such areas as green consumerism and corporate reporting. It coined the term 'triple bottom line' to describe the emerging challenge for 21st century business. The media project has been developed in partnership with UNEP and Ketchum, with support from over 20 companies. SustainAbility's current clients include Ford, Holcim, ING, the International Finance Corporation, Nike, Powergen, Shell and Statoil.

2.Ketchum is one of the world's leading public relations and reputation management consultancies, with fifty offices in thirty countries. It counsels some of the world's leading organisations, including FedEx, Dow Chemical Company, Starbucks, Levi Strauss and the UN Global Compact. The New York and London offices have driven Ketchum's contribution to the report. For more information, contact Gavin Power on 001-646-935-3900 in New York, and Yasmin Crowther on +44-20-7611-3500 in London.