A new survey has confirmed what PR professionals have long suspected- that nearly all journalists turn to social media and PR when it comes to researching stories.
According to research conducted at George Washington University in Washington DC, an overwhelming 89% of the journalists questioned said they used blogs for story research.
A surprisingly high proportion of journalists also said they used online social networks, with 65% saying they used sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn for their research.
Other Web 2.0 sites that prove popular include online reference site Wikipedia and microblogging service Twitter, used by 61% and 52% of journalists respectively.
However, journalists see social media as a supplement rather than a replacement for traditional media, with 84% of respondents viewing social sites as less reliable than traditional sources. When it came to primary research, reporters and editors said they depended on more reliable sources of information such as PR.
The survey sends out a clear message about the increasing importance of disseminating company news and messages in the social media space. If you don't make your content visible online then you'll be restricting your reach and reducing the effectiveness of your media relations campaigns.
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