Implementing an effective media relations strategy requires understanding the needs and preferences of professional journalists, and staying abreast of how those needs and preferences are evolving. So I was interested to read the results of Business Wire’s 2014 Media Survey, which queried 300 North American journalists to determine the types of information and assets they need to effectively cover a story.
While more than 300 members of the media participated in the survey, 50.4% of respondents identified themselves as having been a member of the media for 25 years or longer, and 51.1% identified themselves as an editor or editorial staff member. That compared to just 4% who identified themselves as a blogger, and only 8.1% who identified themselves as having been a member of the media for five years or fewer.
So do the results skew more towards experienced, professional journalists? Likely so. Is that bad? Not yet, but with the ever-growing number of bloggers and citizen journalists, it will be interesting to compare this year’s results to those Business Wire may publish just five or 10 years from now.
But for now, let’s look at the insights this year’s survey provide to help communications professionals and organizations more effectively execute their media relations strategies.
The press release is still a valid – and valued – tool
Read more about the study’s findings on the value of press releases in this recent blog by Lovell’s Robin Embry.
Multimedia elements help, but only if it’s really news
Social media pitch? No, thank you.
Time to beef up your organization’s online newsroom
How journalistic quality is judged has definitely changed
Would a survey of 300 writers with no more than 10 years of experience yield a different result? Likely so. But as long as we have traditional newsrooms left, the elder statesmen (and women) of the profession are likely – or hopefully – running them. So keep the results of Business Wire’s latest survey in mind and we’ll tune in same time, same place next year to monitor how media preferences evolve.
Dana Coleman is a Vice President at Lovell Communications. You can view more of Dana’s blogs here. Connect with Dana at Dana@lovell.com or @lovelldc
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