Search and Rescue of Migrants in the Mediterranean by NGOs: Media Agenda-Setting, Legitimacy and Accounting for the Truth

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) involved in search and rescue (SAR) activities face delegitimization campaigns that hinder their operations. This study explores (a) how agenda-setting social media influence public opinion and (b) whether social media enable dialogic accounting to reaffirm NGO legitimacy. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, we analyze two NGOs through content analysis of annual reports, sentiment analysis of Twitter (X) activity, and media coverage. Our findings contribute to understanding how sociopolitical debates and digital communication platforms shape the administration, public perception, and accountability practices of humanitarian NGOs operating in contested policy environments.