AID agencies should recognise disaster victims with dignity rather than hopelessness, a new report out today finds.

The study by journalism think-tank Polis, based at the London School of Economics and Political Science, with global children’s charity Plan UK, calls on organisations to comply with ethical codes of conduct.

It urges them to adhere to Article 10 of the International Red Cross Code of Conduct for NGOs in Disaster Relief should ‘recognise disaster victims as dignified humans, not hopeless objects.’

“The public are telling us they are saturated with suffering, we are charming or disarming them into acts of compassion, and we’re abusing their emotions,” said Leigh Daynes, Plan UK’s director of communications.

The report; Who cares? Challenges and opportunities in communicating distant suffering, was conducted in the context of a three-year Birkbeck/LSE investigation funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Research, which included interviews with members of the public and officials from ten NGOs, explored the British public’s perception of media coverage of poverty and disaster related suffering overseas.

It also looked at charity approaches to communications and fundraising on these issues.

The report urges charities to embrace the digital age and to look further afield than traditional media to get their message across.

New media provides an opportunity for charities to reach new audiences and potential supporters.

It also means that donors can, in many cases, communicate directly with beneficiaries of aid, so eroding NGOs’ role as ‘gatekeepers’.

In uncertain economic times and with shrinking budgets, charities must be able to demonstrate value for money.

This has the added benefit of building trust with potential supporters who know where their donations are going.

“We hope this report reflects the challenges and opportunities faced by NGOs in communicating to the public about humanitarian disasters and allows their voices to be heard,” said report co-author Dr Shani Orgad.

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