What journalists want from charities: findings from in-depth interviews with nine Irish journalists

Between October 2025 and January 2026, nfpResearch conducted nine in-depth interviews with journalists working across Ireland’s major media outlets. The aim was simple: to understand how charities can work more effectively with the media.

The journalists we spoke to span the full breadth of Irish media, including print, broadcast and digital. They included news reporters, features writers, editors, columnists, and political journalists. Interviews lasted between 30 and 45 minutes. 

What emerged was a remarkably consistent set of messages. Despite working in very different roles and for very different outlets, these journalists agreed on what makes charities effective media partners, and where the sector consistently falls short. Quotes have been anonymised to protect participants’ identities.