Trying to Reach Journalists? Start with Email and Social Media

A new survey of journalists provides insights into the evolution of their use of social media. Of interest to those who are asked to “pitch” stories is the preferred method of contact:

U.S. journalists’ top three methods of contact include email (84 percent), social media (33 percent) and telephone (15 percent).

U.S. journalists list PR contacts as their second most important source for information, the first being expert sources.

Other key findings in the annual Global Social Journalism Study, conducted by Cision in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University:

More than half (51 percent) of journalists report they would be unable to do their job without social media.

Fifty-seven percent of journalists agree that social media has improved their productivity.

Sixty-seven percent of journalists are spending up to two hours a day on social media, up from 38 percent in 2012.

Twitter and Facebook are the most widely used social platforms among journalists, but their levels of popularity vary among the countries surveyed.

U.S. and U.K. journalists rely on social media for publishing and promoting their own content, while the other countries cite sourcing as their top reason for usage.

“This data confirms the mission-critical nature of social media and its ever-growing popularity for journalism,” said Cision Vice President, Media Research Valerie Lopez in a press release. “Whether it’s used to improve research, streamline communication with potential sources, or further develop story ideas, social media has clearly become integral to journalists’ daily work and responsibilities.”

The full report and infographic can be read here.