Survey Results Show How Journalists Use New Media

Does age matter in media relations? What is a credible source? Do journalists get SMPRs?

Thanks to Middelberg Communications for contacting Wired PR Works with the preliminary Findings from the Middleberg/SNCR Survey of Media in the Wired World. Because the survey is in progress, journalists can still participate in the new media and communications survey. Final results will be presented at the New Communications Forum in Spring 2009.  It’s worth taking some time to browse through the results in progress; here are three areas I thought you might find interesting.

Highlights from the Middleberg/SNCR [Society for New Communications Research] Study

Although the study reports many findings, the credibility factor jumped out first. The 30-49 segment gives the highest credibility marks across all new media communications, except for online video. Boomers don’t find blogs very believable, but they rank corporate websites fairly high – is this a matter of perception? What if the corporate website is a traditional site/blog hybrid?

Journalists Prefer Email, Phone and Meetings over Social Network Message and Twitter

Our media contacts love email. Phone calls come in [or go out] when we need to screen a story idea for interest, check on details, or set up interviews. Recently, we sent out a part one part two email. The first contained the release and mentioned that an identical email that included an image attachment would follow immediately. Two media outlets emailed back to say they got message one, but not message two and they wanted to run the picture. Sometimes we get better pick up on our client’s images than we do on their stories; having a mix is good. One reporter asked for additional images to create an online slide show. How do these responses compare to your media connections’ preferences?

Social Media Press Releases Work for 21%, not for 17% and 62% don’t know what they are

Now here’s an interesting finding that goes against all “the press release is dead” proclamations. Is it the insider terminology that throws off the 62%? What if the question asked journalists to rank SMPR components like multi-media attachments based on value – do you think the response would be different? How can the PR industry let journalists know about the SMPR? Almost two years ago I wrote a post about the social media release called “Give Whoever Whatever They Want” that outlines 10 reasons why SMPRs don’t work for everybody. 

Source of all graphics: Middleberg/SNCR Survey of Media in the Wired World

Where PR Comes In: Storytelling, Engaging, Communicating

The study goes on to note implications for public relations practitioners, including making the case for placing social media responsibilities with PR professionals who are “storytellers who understand how to build relationships, collaborate, engage in conversations, understand changing influence patterns, and how to communicate with journalists in the channel of their choice.”

Your Turn

How did these results help you?