Toy stories, horror stories and fairy tales: the role of the media in highlighting issues of corporate responsibility

Purpose - The paper aims to examine the role of the media in encouraging corporate responsibility in the toy industry and question whether it acts responsibly itself in reporting in a balanced and fair way (telling toy stories) or whether it overindulges in scaremongering (telling horror stories) or in exaggerating or making false accusations (telling fairy stories). Design/methodology/approach - The paper focuses on qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews with 15 senior toy company managers, toy retailers, representatives of the toy industry body, and with a sample of parent toy consumers. Findings - It was found that consumers generally have little knowledge about toys or the toy industry but that any negative media coverage about toys might influence or change their purchase decisions. Many managers felt that there was only limited media coverage of the toy industry and most stories were overly negative, failing to reflect the many responsible activities they pursue. A range of stories is provided that point to an important role for the media in bringing ethical issues to public attention but also indicate that greater prominence could perhaps be given to the industry's worthier practice. Practical implications - Toy companies need to continue to work closely with the media to keep them informed, particularly concerning their benevolence. They should, however, also look for other ways of communicating such care to consumers both directly and via retailers. Originality/value - The paper objectively considers the influence of the media in an important children's market and points to lessons about social responsibility for both the media and the toy industry.