Journalists' Web Use Soars
According to a new study released by Don Middleberg, chairman and CEO of
Middleberg Euro, and Steve Ross, associate professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, you may be sabotaging your potential for press coverage by
neglecting your Web site. The seventh annual
Middleberg/Ross Survey of Media in the Wired World reveals that journalists are tapping the Web for research, sources and communications in record numbers.
One important survey revelation was that most journalists view corporate Web sites as a key source of information when reporting breaking news.
Results indicate that 98 percent of more than 500 journalists surveyed go online at least once daily to check email, as opposed to 59 percent who used email at the survey's
inception in 1995. Ninety-two percent of reporters research articles on the Internet, compared with just 66 percent in 1995.
Journalistic confidence in the Web as a source of reliable information has grown as well. Only 44 percent of those surveyed demonstrated an aversion to citing chat room and
newsgroup postings as primary or secondary sources. But too many reporters lack knowledge or training in using topic-specific search engines which means they may not always get a
clear picture of the facts when they rely on these postings and corporate sites.
The findings, according to Middleberg, reveal a pressing need for PR practitioners to put sound, timely information on the Web.
(Don Middleberg, 212/888-
6610)