US Survey Finds Majority of Journalists Now Depend on Social Media for Story Research

Poll Finds 89% Use Blogs, 65% Use Social Networking Sites, and 52% Use Microblogging Sites — but Reliability is a Major Concern

LONDON, January 20, 2010 – A US survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University’s Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations 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 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 North America. “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.”

“While this is a survey of North American journalists, we believe the findings mirror behaviour among journalists in the UK, more so than elsewhere in Europe” said Falk Rehkopf, Head of Research for Cision Europe. “There might be some lag in wider adoption, but media professionals are ahead of the curve when it comes to social media – such that, in many ways, Twitter can be thought of as a de facto social network for the UK media industry”.

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 utilise 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.”

For a copy of the complete survey results, go to http://us.cision.com/journalist_survey_2009/

ABOUT THE SURVEY
Cision, Don Bates and GWU jointly conducted the survey to inform best practices and teaching in the public relations and political management fields and to deepen understanding of how editors and reporters use and value social media and other resources. A custom questionnaire consisting of open-and close-ended questions was sent to 9,100 editors/journalists in the fall of 2009.

About Cision:
Cision (www.cision.com) empowers businesses to make better decisions and improve performance through its CisionPoint software solutions for corporate communication and PR professionals. Powered by local experts with global reach, Cision delivers relevant media information, targeted distribution, media monitoring, and precise media analysis. Cision has offices in Europe, North America and Asia, and has partners in 125 countries. Cision AB is quoted on the Nordic Exchange with revenue of SEK 1.8 billion in 2008.

About The George Washington University’s Strategic Public Relations Program:
Established in the fall of 2008, GW’s Strategic Public Relations Program offers a master’s degree, both on campus and online, and a graduate certificate. The program is part of GW’s Graduate School of Political Management (www.gwu.edu/gspm), which also offers graduate degrees in political management, legislative affairs, and PAC management, as well as a certificate in community advocacy for not-for-profit organizations, and international programs in Latin America and Europe.

For More Information:
Susanne Lund
Head of UK Marketing
+44 (0) 20 76 89 11 10
 

Don Bates
Instructor and Founding Director,
The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management
202-994-9419 Cell 917-913-8940