According to a national survey of editors and reporters by Cision and George Washington University, 15% of journalists say social media is “important” to them as a potential source when researching a story, and 40% say it’s somewhat important. Other findings include:
• 84% said social media sources were “slightly less” reliable or “much less” reliable than traditional media; 49% said social media suffers from lack of fact checking, verification and reporting standards.
• 89% of journalists polled use blogs for their online research.
• 44% of editors and reporters surveyed say they depend on PR professionals for “interviews and access to sources and experts”; 23% say that they depend on them for “answers to questions and targeted information”; and 17% for “perspective, information in context, and background information.”
Source: Cision, George Washington University