The battle of ideas about global poverty in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Flanders

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to uncover the manner in which newspapers and non-governmental organisation (NGO) campaigns in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Flanders represent poverty in developing countries. An inductive framing analysis, based on a social constructionist approach, reveals nine frames through which this subject is portrayed. The analysis shows how these frames propagate opposing positions about global poverty and how they drive the debates about aid effectiveness and the case for aid. The study is of relevance to NGOs, journalists, and other stakeholders who wish to increase insight into communications about global poverty and international development.