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Philanthrocapitalists and the Humanitarian Agenda: Motivations, Metrics, and Media Power

In: The Routledge Companion to Media and Humanitarian Action
Robin Andersen; Robin Purnaka L. de Silva (eds.)
London: Routledge (2017), pp. 505-515

ISBN 97803678779659 (pbk); 9781315538129 (ebook)

Signature commbox: 10-Development-E 2017

"This chapter has outlined the philosophical motivations and strategic practices of philanthrocapitalists, interrogating the key place of communication technology and media storytelling within their humanitarian activities. It also explored the central critiques of philanthrocapitalism that have emerged in response, suggesting that oppositional narratives have played only a minor role in public sphere debates. Fundamentally, philanthrocapitalists have recognized the key role that advocacy plays in setting the agenda of media, policymakers, and the public, cultivating a number of powerful tools to ensure that the stones that get the most attention are those that reflect their own priorities and strategies for humanitarian action. Indeed, at a time when approximately 63 percent of Americans get their news from Facebook, the philanthrocapitalist agenda of the newly created Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative might have the best media platform yet to shape and measure the perspectives of the public. Looking forward, it seems that some balance is needed between recognizing the good work that these philanthrocapitalists can achieve, on one hand, while having opportunities to hold them accountable and propose alternative solutions, on the other." (Conclusion)