| Poll Finds 89% Use Blogs, 65% Use Social Networking | | | | "lack of fact checking, verification and reporting |
| Sites, and 52% Use Microblogging Sites | | | | standards." |
| But Reliability is a Major Concern | | | | Journalists Depend on PR Professionals for Primary |
| | | | Research and Context |
| A national survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates | | | | According to the Cision/GWU survey, most journalists |
| of The George Washington University's Master's | | | | turn to public relations professionals for assistance in |
| Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations found | | | | their primary research. Editors and reporters surveyed |
| that an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors | | | | said they depend on PR professionals for "interviews |
| now depend on social media sources when | | | | and access to sources and experts" (44%), "answers |
| researching their stories. Among the journalists | | | | to questions and targeted information" (23%), and |
| surveyed, 89% said they turn to blogs for story | | | | "perspective, information in context, and background |
| research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook | | | | information" (17%). |
| and LinkedIn, and 52% to microblogging services such | | | | "Social media provides a wealth of new information for |
| as Twitter. The survey also found that 61% use | | | | journalists, but getting the story right is just as important |
| Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia. | | | | as ever," said Bates, founding director of the GWU |
| While the results demonstrate the fast growth of | | | | Strategic Public Relations program, and writing/media |
| social media as a well-used source of information for | | | | relations instructor. "As PR professionals increasingly |
| mainstream journalists, the survey also made it clear | | | | utilize social media as a means of communicating, they |
| that reporters and editors are acutely aware of the | | | | have a bigger responsibility than ever to ensure the |
| need to verify information they get from social media. | | | | information they provide journalists is accurate and |
| Eighty-four percent said social media sources were | | | | timely, provide access to the primary sources who |
| "slightly less" or "much less" reliable than traditional | | | | can verify the facts, and be knowledgeable enough to |
| media, with 49% saying social media suffers from | | | | provide accurate background and context. |