What do journalists really want? Truth and data, baby!
Cision is shedding some light on the top challenges and priorities that journalists are facing. And just as expected, the findings reinforce the critical need for PR pros to be as diligent as ever in providing trusted, accurate and relevant content for journalists.
Here’s the scoop.
Cision surveyed more than 3K journalists from across the globe to better understand how comms folks (like me) can help secure media coverage for clients and employers (like you).
Cision asked all of the juicy questions, such as:
What do you believe was the biggest challenge for journalism?
What are your priorities?
What do you consider the most trustworthy for gathering/validating information?
How are you using multimedia?
Okay, but who cares?
We should all benefit from this information, including business owners, corporations, organizations, thought leaders, stakeholders and more.
By sharing the needs and challenges of journalists, PR professionals can create solid partnerships and highlight your efforts through accurate and authentic storytelling.
Want publicity for your work? Here’s what you need to know... straight from the horse’s mouth.
What’s holding journalists back right now…
Smaller newsrooms and reduced resources
The balancing act of covering important topics while battling misinformation.
You’ve seen it all over the headlines. Newsrooms are getting the chopping block. According to Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, since 2005, the country has lost more than one-fourth of its newspapers and is on track to lose a third by 2025. Local newspapers are being hit the hardest.
With accurate and trusted reporting slowly dying out, it’s getting harder to decipher the truth from the fake. Love it or hate it, social media has only added fuel to the fire and with it comes the spread and belief of misinformation.
How are journalists using social media?
66% of journalists say they used social media to source information
Journalists are moving to LinkedIn and Instagram in place of Twitter and Facebook
Twitter and Facebook aren’t going anywhere… for now. But journalists are choosing to spend their valuable time promoting content, sourcing information and interacting with their audience on LinkedIn and Instagram at an increasing rate.
So, post your announcements and news on social media, yall! It’s easy PR. Social media is a valuable tool for connecting with journalists, especially if you know the basics of social media and how to use them.
Not sure how to strategize on social media? Follow Coralee Trigger. Her podcast & resources help entrepreneurs share their work on social media. She knows her sh*t!
What are the priorities for journalists and editors?
Ensuring content is accurate
Audience perception as a trusted news source
Where’s the data, baby?
40% of journalists say they are relying more on data this year (views, engagement, demographic data, etc.) to shape their editorial strategy than they have in previous years.
37% of journalists say they won't consider covering a product unless the pitch includes data showing trends and problems the product is solving for readers.
Not only do they rely on data, but the majority of journalists rely on the public relations professionals they partner with to provide it.
Visuals, plz.
Reporters are relying more on visuals to tell a story.
They want to see and incorporate videos, photos, charts and polls.
When it comes to supplying multimedia, think twice about sending an attachment and, instead, supply a link – whether to your media page or a storage space like Dropbox or WeTransfer. It's much easier to access files this way.
What are the top ways that communicators/PR pros provide value to journalists?
Alert of new/upcoming events
Help find sources
Provide new/interesting stories
This is just a taste of what Cision learned in the 2023 Global State of the Media Report. Download the report to see all the findings.
Remember, as well-crafted and customized as a pitch or press release may be, as solid or unique as the data is, the journalist, editor or media outlet has the final say in how your brand is presented. As PR pros, we carefully take the time to invest in relationships with the media and learn who their audience is while also supporting the brand narratives to present the best outcomes.
