Journalists Consider PRs the 2nd Most Popular Information Source for a Story

Social may be a great way to find contacts, but journalists still prefer the old fashioned email when it comes to pitches, according to a survey by Cision.

The Social Journalism Survey, conducted by Cision and Canterbury Christ Church University, shows just how journalist see and use social media in relation with PR. Most journalists, a stunning 82% prefer to be contacted by email; some – 33% are OK with phone calls; while only 25% view social media as a viable way to be pitched.

The good news for PRs is that journalists consider them the second most desirable source of information for a story, which is highly encouraging: the love-hate relationship between journalists and PRs is here to stay.

Among the key findings by theSocial Journalism Survey, Cision identified five groups of professional social media users: architects, promoters, hunters, observers, and skeptics. Each of these groups has its own characteristics, shaping social media sharing in different ways. From all these groups, Observers were the largest group of journalists (30%), followed by Architects (25%).

Observers are light users, who use social media to source and publish, while Architects are the movers and shakers of the professional social media world. The infographic below shows just how each group uses social media, and which are the most important for PRs.