Media Publicity and Civil Society: Nonprofit Organizations, Local Newspapers and the Internet in a Midwestern Community

Abstract

Media attention to the voluntary sector depends mainly on organizational resources of nonprofit organizations that can influence organizations' positions in a local community power structure. Relying on the resource dependency theory (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978) as a conceptual framework, this study examines to what extent various features of nonprofit organizations yield different levels of media publicity through local newspapers and the Internet in a Midwestern community. Data were collected using multiple research methods, including public archive analysis, telephone and e-mail surveys, news archive analysis, and hyperlink analysis (N = 218). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses reveal that financially resource-rich, locally embedded organizations and organizations with larger numbers of directors and volunteers tend to receive more newspaper coverage. Analyses also indicate that nonlocal groups tend to receive more hyperlinks from other Web sites. Implications for media and voluntary associations in a civil society context are discussed.

Notes

¹There exist various types of nonprofit organizations relying on tax-exemption codes. There are 27 categories, which fall into 501(c) although most of them are 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(6) business-oriented organizations, or 501(c)(7) social and hobby clubs.

²A series of homogeneity tests (chi-square test and T test) between cases included and excluded show that there are no significant differences across most independent variables.

Note. N = 216. Cell entries are standardized final regression coefficients. Entries in brackets are partial correlation coefficients after controlling for each block entered into each model.

*p ≤ .05. **p ≤ .01. ***p ≤ .001.

Note. N = 215. Cell entries are standardized final regression coefficients. Entries in brackets are partial correlation coefficients after controlling for each block entered into each model.

*p ≤ .05. **p ≤ .01. ***p ≤ .001.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seungahn Nah

Seungahn Nah (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2006) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community & Leadership Development at the University of Kentucky. His research interests include communication, community, and democracy with special emphasis on the roles that information and communication technologies play on community and democratic processes.