Communication of Social Commitment and Sustainability. Multifocal Analysis and Trends

Abstract

The communication of social commitment and sustainability is of renewed interest given the social challenges that pressure societies, companies and institutions at a global level. Although the Sustainable Development Goals were approved in 2015, the coronavirus pandemic has fuelled issues linked to the environment, health and inequality(ies) in the media, public opinion and business and institutional agendas. This article reviews the knowledge generated on this wide-ranging topic in a multifocal analysis organized into two main axes: first, the scientific knowledge provided on the social responsibility/sustainability strategies of corporate actors; secondly, that relating to citizen movements, media discourses/media coverage and social networks. The results indicate that this is an area of growing interest (very pronounced in recent years), where there is no defining consensus and there is a wide range of subtopics that are difficult to narrow down. In the business field, the focus has been on the confusion between sustainability and CSR in information[1]oriented studies based on company statements and reports. In the area of social participation, it is essential to make difficulties and violence of all kinds visible, although they are also the responsibility of the media. We continue to see threats that pose historical problems, such as class, ethnic and gender inequalities; the economic and health crises; and the climate emergency. They are threats that have become chronic in this 21st century. It is concluded that the field needs to mature in terms of definition and delimitation of concepts, practical approaches and storydoing. In this way, we will move from a stage of awareness to another of compliance with goals and objectives for sustainable development.