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2008 PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Increasing and Shifting Responsibilities, Longer Hours, and Greater Sense of Commercial Accountability Impacting How Media Professionals Do Their Jobs
NEW YORK, March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The continuing shift from print to
online media is requiring journalists to reassess their day-to-day
responsibilities and the manner in which they report the news. This, and other
findings uncovered in the "2008 PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey," indicate
that media professionals are being tasked with more responsibility, are facing
changing job requirements, and are more aware of the commercial side of the
business than ever before.
The survey, sponsored by PR Newswire and PRWeek, polled a total of 1,231
traditional and non-traditional media, including newspaper and magazine
journalists, television, radio and online reporters, and bloggers. Its
objective was to assess the attitudes and ideas of traditional journalists and
bloggers, specifically regarding their duties, workload, interaction with PR
professionals, and opinions of the future of media industry. A full review of
the survey results will appear in PRWeek on Monday, March 31. To access this
coverage, please click here:
http://www.prweekus.com/State-of-transition/article/108309/.
"With the media industry in a state of flux, reporters recognize that it
is more and more difficult to confine oneself to standard roles and
responsibilities. The proliferation of online news sites and blogs has put
incredible pressure on traditional media outlets, forcing many to reallocate
or cut staff in order to compete," stated Dave Armon, chief operating officer,
PR Newswire. "The results of this survey bear witness to how these changes are
impacting the way in which reporters work, how they perceive their industry,
what they value as important, and the efforts that they are taking to adapt to
the ever-evolving media landscape."
Key Findings:
-- Hours and Responsibilities
The role of the media professional is changing as reporters are asked
to assume more responsibilities and contribute to an increasing array
of outlets. Fifty-seven percent of respondents feel they are being
asked to work more today that in the past few years, while 56% say
they are contributing to other mediums outside of their official duty.
Related to their work responsibilities, 42% of magazine journalists
are expected to contribute to the website or online version of their
publication and 39% of newspaper reporters are expected to do the
same. Twenty-two percent of media respondents are blogging for their
traditional publication.
-- Future of Print Outlets
Consistent with this shift in reporting focus, reporters at
traditional print newspapers and magazines recognize the growing
influence of the Web as the medium by which people access news. Recent
shake-ups and staff reductions at large print outlets have cast a
cloud over the industry, with 67% of newspaper journalists
anticipating "declines in print circulation and increased focus on the
web" over the next three years. In line with this sentiment, 38% of
newspaper reporters expect to see "reductions in staff" over the next
three years. Print magazine reporters are decidedly more optimistic,
with only 9.4% expressing concern about reductions in staff.
Despite the uncertainty in the industry, few reporters believed that
their publications in their current state would disappear. Fully 63%
of the total print journalists believe that their publication will
endure "indefinitely" in its current state.
-- Measuring Success
When asked to identify the most important aspect of their work, 91% of
respondents indicated "Make my publication successful by creating
appealing content for its audiences" as the top consideration of their
job, ahead of "Educate and inform the masses," "Break news," and
"Chronicle events as they happen." This finding suggests a significant
level of commercial awareness on the part of journalists.
-- Perception of the Press
Reporters continue to operate on the defensive, with 70% of total
respondents suggesting that public opinion of journalists has gotten
worse during the past five years, and 52% of the total believing that
the general public has a "somewhat negative" opinion of journalists.
-- Impact of Blogs on Reporting
Blogs have become an important tool for researching a story. Nearly
73% of respondents sometimes or always use blogs in their research,
while a scant 19% report never using a blog for research purposes. The
most often cited reason for using blogs in research was "to measure
sentiment."
-- Relationship to PR Professionals
The majority of journalists responding prefer PR professionals to
contact them by email with nearly 90% listing this as their favored
method. Encouragingly, less than 7% said they would prefer not to be
contacted by PR pros at all. Eighty-six percent of bloggers report
that they currently receive pitches from PR people, with 24% reporting
that these pitches never result in a story and 49% saying the pitches
they receive are related to what they cover only between 0-25% of the
time.
"New forms of media have made a significant impact on the media
profession, as journalists work longer hours and fill more multi-faceted
roles," said Julia Hood, publishing director, PRWeek. "For PR professionals,
the growing number of outlets -- both traditional and online -- offer more
opportunity to tell your organization's story if you take the time to
understand and empathize with the reporter's or blogger's needs. While
reporters continue to receive a large number of pitches that are not relevant
to their coverage area -- more than half of respondents said that less than 20
percent of the pitches are relevant -- reporters recognize that the
competition for content makes seasoned PR professionals a valuable asset."
Armon continued, "With reporters focusing more on the overall success of
the outlets they work for, it is incumbent upon PR pros to take the time to
learn about the goals of the publication by talking to reporters, editors and
even publishers, reviewing editorial calendars, and reading more than just the
particular column or section they are interested in pitching.
"It was very encouraging to see that PR people are considering blogs as a
medium when conducting outreach, however, the results indicate that more needs
to be done to research the correct blogs. Blog relations are similar to media
relations in that you must take the time to build relationships, read the
blog, know the blog's audience, and engage with the blogger even when it will
not directly impact you or your client. Additionally, with nearly three-
quarters of media respondents indicating that they regularly use blogs in
their research to measure sentiment, it has never been more important for PR
professionals to do the same. You must know what's being said about your
industry, your organization, and your competitors in this increasingly
relevant medium so that you are never blind-sighted when pitching or talking
to a reporter who has taken the time to do the same."
About PR Newswire
PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com/) provides
electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on
behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-
profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations
reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment
community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-
to-the-minute, full-text news developments.
Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely
sends its customers' news to outlets in more than 170 countries and in more
than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR
Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and
individuals who seek breaking news from the source. PR Newswire's leading
services include ProfNet(SM), eWatch(TM), MEDIAtlas(TM), Search Engine
Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense(TM), MultiVu(TM), U.S. Newswire, the
preeminent policy newswire in the industry, Vintage Filings, the fastest
growing Edgar filing company, and Hispanic PR Wire, LatinClips and Hispanic
Digital Network, the foremost Hispanic communications services. PR Newswire is
a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.
About PR Week
Launched in November 1998, PRWeek was Haymarket's first weekly title in
the US. Over the years, PRWeek has established itself as a vital part of the
PR and communications industries in the US, providing timely news, reviews,
profiles, techniques, and ground-breaking research for practitioners. The
brand launched the PRWeek Awards in 1999 to showcase and recognize the best
practices in the PR industry. PRWeek's online properties
(http://www.prweekus.com) include a constantly updated Web site, podcasts, a
number of blogs, and a host of webcasts.
SOURCE PR Newswire; PRWeek
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