SURVEY RESULTS: What we learned about news release preferences
Once again, PWR has conducted our annual survey of journalists to learn more about their news release preferences, how they’re using new media and the state of the newsroom. Two-hundred and fifteen journalists participated from all media types (although with a very high percentage from print). We asked about how they wanted to receive releases and what they wanted with them. We also included an open-ended question about news release preferences.
Once again, email ranked the highest by far with 89% of journalists saying that email is their preferred method of receiving releases. In the words of one respondent:
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The best way to ensure that your story is covered is to send the release electronically. Sending a fax or mailed release puts the story outside of the computer desktop and outside of mind and harder to reuse your language as it would have to be transcribed.
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Snail mail came in second place, earning 6%, while social media, which has garnered some attention in PR circles recently, earned less than 1%, as did RSS, fax and in-person delivery. About 2% said they prefer traditional wire releases.
Images continue to be the most important asset with 85% of journalists saying they are (very) important. The importance of images in releases was also a popular topic in our open ended questions (you can view all unedited responses here) with comments like: |
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The absolute, most important supplement to a press release is editorial-quality, hi-resolution photographs to illustrate the story. Good art is always an incentive to continuing with a story; if a good pitch comes along but there isn't any art available, nine times out of 10, we pass on the story.
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Easily downloadable verbiage and backgrounders, bios and other information also ranked high, 72% and 78% respectively.
Although video and audio still don’t seem exceptionally important to our respondents, the percentage of journalists who label them (very) important has grown over the years we’ve conducted the survey. This year, 35% said downloadable video/audio was (very) important, versus only 20% in last year’s survey, and 29% said embed codes with video/audio was (very) important, speaking to the growing desire to get easily usable web-content in releases. When asked specifically if web content was important to them in a release, 30% said it was (very) important. Similar to what we’ve seen in the past, 33% said a downloadable logo was (very) important.
Finally, we once again asked journalists to tell us anything they wanted PR professionals to know about their news release preferences. They had a lot to say about how they wanted to receive releases, what they did, and did not, want with releases, and what PR pros should, and should not, do to get better pick-up. You can view all the unedited responses here. And, for charts of all the survey questions go here.
For information on what we learned about how New Media is changing the news room, go here. |
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SURVEY RESULTS: What we learned about New Media usage
This year, we wanted to learn more about how journalists are using new media, how it has changed the way they research and write stories, as well as how new mediums have been added to their responsibilities.
One of the interesting things we learned—with repercussions for how PR professionals communicate with, and provide assets to, journalists—is that roughly 60% of journalists say they now contribute to a blog or other on-line site. Thirty-nine percent of our respondents said they acquired these responsibilities in the past year and 71% added on-line work to their duties in the past two years.
They are also using new media to research stories: 93% use search, 78% use electronic press kits (digital news releases), and 41% use blogs. Other options garnered less interest with only 26% saying they used social media, 21% podcasts or videocasts and 16% RSS feeds. And, as noted above, new media elements in releases, such as web content or embed codes for video and audio, are beginning to be more important.
But the most interesting information came from our open ended question: how has new media had an impact on your work? You can see all the unedited responses here, but, to give you the flavor, the results were passionate but totally contradictory. In short, they either love it or hate it.
Most of our respondents said new media has had a huge impact, changing how they research and publish. In that category, are responses like these:
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Many of my stories are published on-line, so I often write first for the web edition, then later for the print version. As a result, I have rolling deadlines. I've also been tasked to take photos and videos while reporting a story when a regular photographer was not available to take either. So, I've had to incorporate new skills.
We're highly encouraged to get audio and video elements to local story packages. I had to do a weekly video about one of my columns, but that got killed. Electronic releases save time and paper.
Blogs and the internet in general are the most important research tools I have.
Although I belong to several social networking communities, I never use them for work-related research. Many use/follow Twitter feeds, but I don't really bother with those.
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| But others seem to find new media overwhelming and perhaps even untrustworthy: |
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… I routinely check it because of its growing usage, but I have found it to be mostly garbage and disappointing and a waste of time.
Raised my anxiety level + frustration level as PRs often direct me to a site rather than just spoon-feed the who-what-where-when-why that I need.
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| A few respondents put their finger on these contradictions, noting both the pros and cons: |
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Web searches and information received via email have made finding information easier, however, it also has increased the amount of information, which can make it difficult to find the right/best information.
Makes it both easier and more complicated.
More information is out there -- but there may not be time to pursue all of the avenues. I don't like audio and video because it's hard to load on my antique newsroom computer and it takes too long to watch and listen to.
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See the responses in chart form here.
For information on what we learned about press release preferences to here. |
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