2015 Global Social Journalism Study Finds Journalists Increasingly Rely on Social Media to Complete Daily Activities and Improve Productivity

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Cision

Jul 22, 2015, 09:00 ET


CHICAGO (PRWEB) July 22, 2015 -- Cision, the leading global media intelligence provider, today released its annual Global Social Journalism Study, conducted in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University. The international report analyzes how journalists across six countries – United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Sweden and Australia – use social media to improve productivity and better communicate with PR professionals.

Findings from Cision’s 2015 Social Journalism Study underscore the industry’s increased usage on social media, and show a noticeable maturation in journalists’ reliance on social media. Key findings from the survey include:

  • More than half (51 percent) of journalists report they would be unable to do their job without social media Tweet this
  • Fifty-seven percent of journalists agree that social media has improved their productivity Tweet this
  • Sixty-seven percent of journalists are spending up to two hours a day on social media, up from 38 percent in 2012 Tweet this
  • Twitter and Facebook are the most widely used social platforms among journalists, but their levels of popularity vary among the countries surveyed Tweet this
  • U.S. and U.K. journalists rely on social media for publishing and promoting their own content, while the other countries cite sourcing as their top reason for usage Tweet this
  • The majority of journalists, including 58 percent of U.S. journalists, express data security and privacy concerns as a result of increased social media use Tweet this
  • Journalists in English-speaking countries are more interactive and create more social media content than those in non-English speaking countries Tweet this

“This data confirms the mission-critical nature of social media and its ever-growing popularity for journalism,” said Cision Vice President, Media Research Valerie Lopez. “Whether it’s used to improve research, streamline communication with potential sources, or further develop story ideas, social media has clearly become integral to journalists’ daily work and responsibilities.”

The study also examined the evolving relationship between PR practitioners and journalists, showing a favorable change in communication practices. PR professionals are increasingly communicating with journalists through social media, with 23 percent pitching stories on social platforms, a 28 percent year-over-year increase. This shift matches the changing preferences of reporters. Other key findings include:

  • U.S. journalists list PR contacts as their second most important source for information, the first being expert sources Tweet this
  • The majority of reporters, including 58 percent of U.S. journalists, are happy with their relationships with PR practitioners Tweet this
  • U.S. journalists’ top three methods of contact include email (84 percent), social media (33 percent) and telephone (15 percent)Tweet this

The full report and infographic can be read here.

This study was based on more than 3,000 responses from journalists and media professionals, with respondents sourced from Cision’s media database of more than 1.6 million influencers globally. Throughout the survey, the term “journalist” is used to include all media professionals (e.g. reporters, researchers, editors, etc.) who took part.

About Cision
Cision is a leading global media intelligence company, serving the complete workflow of today’s communications, social media and content marketing professionals. Offering the industry’s most comprehensive PR and social software, rich analytics and a Global Insights team, Cision enables clients to improve their marketing and strengthen data-driven decision making. Cision also represents the Gorkana Group, PRWeb, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and iContact brands. Headquartered in Chicago, Cision has over 100,000 customers worldwide and maintains offices in Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and China. For more information, visit http://www.cision.com or follow @Cision on Twitter.

About Canterbury Christ Church University
Canterbury Christ Church University is a modern university with a particular strength in higher education for the public services. With nearly 20,000 students, and five campuses across Kent and Medway, its courses span a wide range of academic and professional expertise. Along with over a thousand undergraduate, postgraduate and professional training courses on offer, the University is also home to world-leading and internationally recognised research. Visit: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk.

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Breeanna Straessle, Cision, http://www.cision.com/, +1 301-479-3921, [email protected]