Exploring How Environmental Nonprofits In Ghana Use Digital Media To Communicate Environmental Advocacy

Abstract

This study explores how Ghanaian environmental nonprofit organizations (ENGOs) utilize digital media as tools for environmental advocacy. Guided by social constructivism and a critical realist ontology, the research employed a qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with communication officers from three purposively selected ENGOs, A Rocha Ghana, Wacam, and the Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND Ghana). The aim was to understand how these organizations conceptualize, implement, and evaluate digital advocacy within Ghana’s environmental communication landscape. Findings reveal that ENGOs in Ghana strategically integrate digital platforms, particularly Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and WhatsApp, as extensions of their offline advocacy efforts. Platform selection and content design are shaped by organizational identity, audience demographics, and communication capacity. Storytelling, visual content, and audience participation emerged as central strategies for framing environmental messages and sustaining engagement. However, the study also identified key constraints, including limited technical expertise, financial resources, and unstable internet connectivity, which restrict the reach and consistency of digital campaigns. The study concludes that while digital media have become indispensable for environmental advocacy in Ghana, their impact depends on institutional capacity, creative content strategies, and alignment between online and offline mobilization