Through the Looking Glass: Corporate Responsibility in Media & Entertainment Industries

The media and entertainment (M&E) sector is rarely at the forefront of the mind when major social and environmental impacts are considered. When it is mentioned, it is usually in relation to how these issues are covered in news, documentary and entertainment formats, rather than the M&E sector's own corporate responsibilities and
accountability. But the idea that the sector is somehow 'low impact' is evaporating.

Published by the World Wildlife Fund-UK and SustainAbility, this 28-page discussion paper analyses social responsibility practices of the primary media companies in the West. The thrust of the report is that the media and entertainment (M&E) sector is increasingly feeling the pressure - and seeking to account for - its influence on society (corporate responsibility, or CR). For the purposes of this paper, CR is defined as having four linked dimensions: open and transparent business practices; ethical behaviour; respect for stakeholder groups; and strong performance on economic, social and environmental issues.

The authors argue that M&E companies are increasingly shaping public opinion and helping frame the terms of public debate through the content they communicate. In part, this influence is linked to the level of public exposure to the media. In the United States, for example, the average person watches more than 4 hours of television a day, and sees 25,000 commercials a year; the average person in the UK spends approximately 40% of his or her leisure time watching television. To illustrate the central role that the M&E sector can play in educating, informing, and empowering the global public with regard to sustainable development and other issues, the authors point to examples from the broadcast and print media such as "Erin Brockovich", "The Day After Tomorrow", "The Blue Planet", environmental coverage by the BBC, and coverage of HIV/AIDS by CBS. They cite several examples of "good practices [that] are emerging that tackle the critical questions concerning the wider indirect impacts of the sector."

However, "the level of effort remains precariously limited in relation to the challenges." These challenges are highlighted by the fact that coverage of environmental and social issues:

• tends to be highly cyclical, with peaks driven by major international events and major controversies
• varies enormously in terms of coverage, regionally, with the European Union (EU) countries generally leading, North America in second place, and coverage of the issues in Latin America and Asia still relatively low
• is increasingly impacted by the dependence of many media on advertising income, which "creates a tension between editorial values and the needs of advertisers". The report notes that "Technologies that allow viewers to fast forward through commercial breaks are forcing advertisers to become more sophisticated in how they reach their target audiences. This is leading to growth in the amount of 'subversive advertising' such as product placements or newspaper advertorials, sometimes
  masking as editorial."

Further, the report's analysis of ownership and governance trends "suggests that much
more needs to be done if the sector is to make lasting progress on this agenda." For example, "Close relationships between media and government have reached new heights in Italy, where the term Berlusconismo has entered the vocabulary. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi owns Italy's three main private television channels and its largest
publishing house, raising issues about conflicts of interest..."

But what does it mean to be a "responsible media company"? The paper's "Media Manifesto" aims to help the sector understand and address its responsibilities. It includes key points and questions that are designed to facilitate discussion on what CR means for the sector - using concrete examples. For instance, the Manifesto notes that the M&E sector should "Take a proactive stance on key issues, helping to develop self-regulatory initiatives where appropriate. Be transparent about such
initiatives and about wider lobbying activities....Wherever possible, work with
civil society organisations to ensure that public policy proposals win broad support." To illustrate, the authors point to the UK's Broadcasters' Disability Network, which works to achieve a more accurate representation of people with disabilities in
the media. Other strategies shared here for M&E companies include:

• Spotlight impacts
• Adopt and communicate ethical principles
• Be transparent in the worlds of government, business and civil society
• Engage audiences and other stakeholders
• Carry out internal communication, education, and training
• Address approprite audiences, experimenting to offer successful content

The paper also includes the following suggestions for M&E companies seeking to address CR issues, gleaned from the book Environmental Change: Communicating the Issues:

• Cover environmental issues across a range of programming, from news
  to current affairs to entertainment and campaigns
• Find ways of representing complex environmental problems in an accessible, relevant and interesting manner
• Cover global as well as national and local environmental agendas
• Give a balanced view of scientific research
• Examine the economic and political aspects of environmental problems
• Support the effective regulation of advertising.