News Media and Corporate Representation of CSR in India

ABSTRACT

Applying stakeholder theory in an international context, this study examined how Indian news media and corporations communicatively define corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the relationship between their narratives. Content analysis of 242 news articles and 200 corporate websites shows that although there are signs of a progressive CSR attitude, the news media and corporate discourse are still ignoring current issues and challenges relevant to Indian society. However, there were also indicators of tensions between moral and strategic intent, as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that previous studies have argued should define CSR in the Indian context. Implications for international CSR research and practice in the context of sociocultural and media environment are discussed.