The accountability of Search and Rescue NGOs

Giacomo Manetti (), Carmela Nitti () and Marco Bellucci ()
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Giacomo Manetti: University of Florence
Carmela Nitti: University of Florence
Marco Bellucci: University of Florence

Working Papers - Business from Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa

Abstract: Despite the lives saved in the Mediterranean Sea, NGOs engaged in Search and Rescue (SAR) activities are the object of delegitimization campaigns that hamper their operations. This exploratory study aims to understand a) the role of agenda-setting social media on NGOs' SAR activities and b) the effectiveness of social media in supporting dialogic accounting as a tool for reaffirming NGOs' legitimacy. Building on a conceptual framework based on agenda-setting and legitimacy theories, we devise a concurrent mixed-methods design based on a manual content analysis of NGOs' annual reports and an automated sentiment analysis around NGOs' Twitter accounts. Firstly, this investigation contributes to the literature on the role of socio-political debates and social media in shaping the legitimacy and accountability of NGOs engaged in SAR activities in the Mediterranean Sea. Secondly, our study advances the methodological literature on computer-assisted sentiment analyses with an empirically-grounded discussion of technical boundaries and future opportunities.

Keywords: Search and rescue; Migrants; Mediterranean Sea; NGOs; Media agenda-setting; Legitimacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L31 M41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 35 pages
Date: 2022
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