ABSTRACT
It is an established social convention that personal acts of charity should be accompanied by a degree of modesty. But while individuals are expected to keep their altruism quiet, organisations thrive on publicity which is the lifeblood of charitable and voluntary activity. It is essential for the economic viability of voluntary organisations and one of the key mechanisms by which they gain public credibility and exert political influence. Moreover, the significance of communication issues for the voluntary sector is increasing, for a range of social, political and economic reasons. This chapter explains why this is so and examines an important but neglected issue concerning public communication in this area: the role played by the mainstream news media in publicising different types of charitable and voluntary activity.1
