Ukrainian News Media Representations and Framing of NGOs

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20899/jpna.k18pfh33

Keywords:

NGOs, Ukraine, Media framing, News Coverage, Nonprofit sector

Abstract

This study examines how Ukrainian news media portray and frame nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from 2019 to 2024 using quantitative content analysis. Despite NGOs' crucial role in Ukrainian society, they face low public trust, political instability, and a lack of research on their media representations. Findings from 306 news articles reveal that NGOs received positive coverage, focusing on their activities and role as information sources. However, episodic framing and portrayal as story attributes rather than primary subjects dominated, potentially limiting public understanding of their broader impact. The study suggests that NGOs should engage proactively with media to promote thematic framing and showcase their work, while journalists should consider the implications of their framing choices. This research contributes insights for stakeholders working to strengthen civil society in Ukraine and highlights the importance of strategic communication for NGOs in challenging environments.

Author Biographies

  • Asya Cooley, Oklahoma State University

    Asya Cooley, Ph.D. is an associate professor of strategic communication and graduate coordinator at Oklahoma State University School of Media and Strategic Communication and lead researcher with the Media Ecology and Strategic Analysis (MESA) Group. Her scholarship focuses on the intersection of communication and nonprofit work. With over six years of nonprofit sector experience, she brings firsthand knowledge of the communication challenges facing nonprofit organizations to both her research and teaching. Her recent scholarship has addressed nonprofit accountability, strategic narratives, and organizational communication. She is an active member of major academic nonprofit organizations, such as the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), International Society for Third-Sector Research (ISTR), and European Research Network On Philanthropy, as well as communication scholarship organizations including the National Communication Association (NCA) and International Communication Association (ICA). She serves as a reviewer for Nonprofit Management & Leadership, International Journal of Communication, VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, and Journal of Media and Communication Studies.

  • Shahariar Khan Nobel, University of Maryland

    Shahariar Khan Nobel is an MS graduate of Mass Communication from Oklahoma State University and is doing his PhD in Journalism at the University of Maryland. Before that, he worked as a reporter and a newsroom editor at multiple media platforms in Bangladesh. In journalism, Shahariar experienced the communication interaction and interdependency between journalism and the non-profit world and has been scholarly interested in studying this interaction. He is enthusiastic about content analysis and survey methods. His research focuses on journalism and political communication, with an emphasis on misinformation, media trust, information seeking, and source credibility. His recent scholarship examines journalists' safety and self-censorship, misinformation in journalism, election framing by influencers, and public attitudes toward AI-created political advertisements. He is also an active member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). 

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Published

2025-09-20

Issue

Online First

Section

Research Articles

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