| A national survey found that an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors now depend
on social media sources when researching their stories. Among the journalists surveyed, 89%
said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn,
and 52% to microblogging services such as Twitter. The survey also found
that 61% use Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia.
While the results of the survey, conducted by Cision and Don Bates of
the George Washington University's Master's Degree Program in Strategic
Public Relations, demonstrate the fast growth of social media as a well-used source of information
for mainstream journalists, the survey also made it clear that reporters and editors are
acutely aware of the need to verify information they get from social media. Eighty-four percent
said social media sources were "slightly less" or "much less" reliable than traditional media,
with 49% saying social media suffers from "lack of fact checking, verification and reporting
standards."
"Mainstream media have clearly hit a tipping point in their reliance on social media for
their research and reporting," said Heidi Sullivan, vice president of research
for Cision. "However, it's also clear that while social media is supplementing the research
done by journalists, it is not replacing editors' and reporters' reliance on primary sources,
fact-checking and other traditional best practices in journalism."
Journalists Depend on PR Professionals for Primary Research and Context
According to the Cision/GWU survey, most journalists turn to public relations professionals
for assistance in their primary research. Editors and reporters surveyed said they depend
on PR professionals for "interviews and access to sources and experts" (44%), "answers to
questions and targeted information" (23%), and "perspective, information in context, and
background information" (17%).
"Social media provides a wealth of new information for journalists, but getting the story
right is just as important as ever," said Bates, founding director of the GWU Strategic Public
Relations program, and writing/media relations instructor. "As PR professionals increasingly
utilize social media as a means of communicating, they have a bigger responsibility than
ever to ensure the information they provide journalists is accurate and timely, provide access
to the primary sources who can verify the facts, and be knowledgeable enough to provide accurate
background and context."
Go here for complete survey results. |
