How Are Media & Journalism Evolving? - Society for New ...

How Are Media &
Journalism Evolving?
Insightsfrom
The 3rd Annual Middleberg/SNCR Survey of
Media in the Wired World
November 4, 2011

About The Study
3 rd Annual Study
Online Survey
200 respondents
Primarily US (90%) / N. America (96%)

The Sample:
Respondents’ Roles
Answer %
Reporter 47%
Editor 20%
Other(specify): 13%
OnlineEditor 5%
Producer 5%
Freelancer 4%
SocialMediaProducer(independent) 4%
Blogger 1%
Publisher 1%

The Sample:
Media OrganizaQon Type
Answer %
Newspaper 39%
Radio 22%
Television 20%
Other(specify): 10%
Online‐onlyMediaOrganizaQon 5%
Magazine 2%
Blog(only) 2%

Demographics: Age
Answer %
18‐29 15%
30‐49 46%
50‐64 37%
65orolder 2%

Demographics: Gender
Answer %
Male 60%
Female 40%

Which Of The Following Social Media
Tools Are Used In Your ReporQng?
Answer %
CompanyWebsites 78%
Facebook 75%
Blogs 70%
TwiWer 69%
OnlineVideo 54%
Wikipedia 53%
LinkedIn 31%
CiQzenPhotos 28%
Other(specify): 10%
MySpace 10%
Tumblr 5%

Journalists’ Social Media Usage
Answer %
ImanageapersonalpageonFacebook. 74%
Imanageaprofessional,work‐relatedaccountonTwiWer. 49%
ImanageapersonalaccountonTwiWer. 41%
Imaintainablog. 39%
Imanageaprofessional,work‐relatedpageonFacebook. 36%
Idonotmaintainablog. 33%
ImanageasingleaccountonFacebookand/orTwiWerthat
marriesmyprofessionallifewithmypersonallife.
26%
ImanageafanpageonFacebook. 23%
IdonotmaintainapresenceonTwiWer. 10%
IdonotmaintainapresenceonFacebook. 7%

Journalists’ Reliance On Social Media
Is Increasing
Stayed the Same
(7%)
Decreased
Significantly (1%)
Decreased Slightly
(1%)
Increased Slightly
(24%)
Increased
Significantly (68%)

Social Media Is A Reliable Tool
For Sourcing Stories
Definitely Yes (10%)
Definitely Not (6%)
Frequently (17%)
SomeQmes (68%)

“Social media tools like Twi1er and par5cularly Facebook have become
excellent sources of informa5on for our newsroom. They also become valued
publishing pla@orms. We know social media help us build our brand and
expand our reach; the trick will be figuring out how they can add revenue to
our bo1om line.”

“Having more sources to u5lize or scan some5mes leads to informa5on
overload...where you forget that you have a story that you have to produce
within the limita5ons of the medium. For Broadcast...informa5on overload
can mean too much clu1er that you have to weed through before wri5ng.
There comes a point when the journalist has to say "Enough"...and just put the
story together and get it on the air, otherwise you can second guess yourself
to death...or right out of a daily job.”

Journalists SomeQmes Quote Bloggers

Journalists SomeQmes Use
CiQzen‐generated Video

Journalists Use
CiQzen‐generated Photos

“Social media just helped solve the "missing mom” case from Round lake, IL
today! Facebook leads help find her body! Amazing!”

Top Tools For The Job
QuesQon Blogs OnlineVideo Podcasts Social
NetworkingSites
TwiWer/Micro‐blogging
Toresearchan
individualor
organizaQon
24% 12% 8% 31% 18%
ToparQcipateina
conversaQon
19% 2% 2% 37% 27%
TomonitorsenQment
ordiscussion
24% 7% 6% 30% 26%
Tomonitoronline
discussionsonan
arQcleIpublished
23% 4% 3% 28% 25%
Tokeepuponissues
ortopicsofinterest
24% 13% 11% 25% 23%
Tofindstoryideas 24% 14% 7% 28% 24%
Tofindsources 24% 8% 5% 33% 23%

Journalists’ DisseminaQon Channels
QuesQon Blogs Online
Video
Ihavemyownblog,
podcast,TwiWerfeed
etc.,and/or
contributetomy
organizaQons'new
mediaofferings)
Podcasts
Social
NetworkingSites
17% 12% 7% 31% 26%
TwiWer/Microblogging

“Social media and new media tools can enhance the work‐life, work‐product
and "brand" of the user and their employer (if there IS an employer).“

Journalists On The Future Of
Journalism & Media

Journalists On The Future Of
Journalism & Media
QuesQon StronglyDisagree Disagree Neutral Agree StronglyAgree
Socialmediatechnologiesand
ciQzenjournalismwill
ulQmatelyleadtothedemiseof
thejournalismprofession.
26% 43% 17% 11% 3%
Socialmediaareanincreasingly
importantpartofjournalism.
2% 4% 8% 42% 44%
Newmediaand
communicaQonstoolsand
technologiesareenhancing
journalism.
3% 5% 16% 43% 34%
Mynewsroomenables/
encouragesmetousenew
communicaQonsandsocial
mediatoolsandtechnologies.
3% 3% 15% 45% 35%

“New Communica5ons and social media are the future of journalism. It 5es
reporters such as myself to the community. They get to know me personally.
They learn to trust me. But what's key is giving of yourself and not just story
updates on social media sites.”

The “Scoop” in the
Age of Social Media
Irrelevant (6%)
Much Less
Important (3%)
Somewhat Less
Important (26%)
Somewhat More
Important (35%)
Much More
Important (31%)

“New communica5ons and social media tools have more or less obliterated the
tradi5onal news cycle, which was predominantly daily. That former daily
rhythm has now become a relentless news 5cker. The upside is that more
people have more access to more informa5on than ever before. The downside
is that all of this makes it all the more difficult to make any one story stand
out…”

“Informa5on can spread instantly, but oYen, early reports are wildly incorrect.
And while sources and opinions are easier to come by, their credibility is more
difficult to discern. So while we have quicker, flashier ways of gathering and
dissemina5ng informa5on, the old challenge remains the same: Get it first, or
get it right? “

“We don't break things on air anymore. We break them on Twi1er and
Facebook then fill in the details on the show. There is a lot of pressure to
monitor the compe55on's posts, so we don't miss any news or any angles.”

“The publica5on of the story isn’t the end of the process anymore – it’s just the
beginning.”

…someQmes, the more things
change, the more they stay the
same…

Journalists SQll Prefer TradiQonal
CommunicaQons & RelaQonship‐building

“I am a mul5media reporter… My posi5on is basically an experiment in figuring
out new media. My job descrip5on changes every 2‐4 weeks. Every day I see
the obstacles and advantages to this kind of journalism. Being an early
adopter is a tricky, some5mes frustra5ng, but ul5mately rewarding role.“

Whichoffollowingsocialmediatoolsdoyouuseforeachofthe
following:Tofindsources:
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Blogs 56% 43% 24%
Podcast N/A 15% 5%
Online Video N/A 20% 8%
Social Networking Sites 44% 42% 33%
Instant Messenger N/A 11% N/A
Twitter / Micro blogging sites N/A 28% 23%
Wikipedia N/A 29% N/A
Company Websites 78% 55% N/A

WhatareyourpreferredmethodsofcommunicaQngwith
sources?
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Email 93% 31% 53%
Phone 74% 28% 34%
In-Person Meetings 51% 23% 11%
Online Community / Social
Network Messages
8% 7% 1%
Instant Messengers 5% 4% 1%
Twitter 3% 4% 1%
Fax 1% 1% 0%
Postal Mail 2% 1% 0%

Whichofthefollowingsocialmediatoolsdoyouuseto
assistyouwithyourreporQng?
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Company Websites 92% 69% 78%
Blogs 70% 66% 70%
Wikipedia 68% 52% 53%
Online Video 47% 48% 54%
Twitter or other microblogging
sites
22% 48% 69%
Facebook 45% 67% 75%
Linkedin 48% 33% 31%
Myspace 24% 14% 10%

HowoeendoyouuseciQzen‐generatedvideoaspartof
yourstories?
2010 2011
Never 52% 53%
Sometimes 42% 42%
Frequently 4% 5%
Always 2% 1%
2010 2011
Never 32% 32%
Sometimes 52% 56%
Frequently 15% 11%
Always 1% 1%

Whichofthefollowingsocialmediatoolsdoyouuseforeachofthe
following?ToresearchanindividualororganizaQon:
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Blogs 46% 38% 24%
Podcast N/A 9% 8%
Online Video N/A 15% 12%
Social Networking Sites N/A 42% 31%
Instant Messenger N/A 9% N/A
Twitter / Micro blogging sites N/A 23% 18%
Wikipedia 71% 46% N/A
Company Websites 86% 66% N/A

Whichofthefollowingsocialmediatoolsdoyouuseforeachofthe
following?Tokeepuponissuesortopicsofinterest:
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Blogs 68% 54% 24%
Podcast 36% 22% 11%
Online Video 45% 25% 13%
Social Networking Sites N/A 48% 28%
Instant Messenger N/A 11% N/A
Twitter / Micro blogging sites N/A 37% 25%
Wikipedia N/A 20% N/A
Company Websites N/A 36% N/A

Whichofthefollowingsocialmediatoolsdoyouuseforeachofthe
following?ToparQcipateinaconversaQon:
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Blogs 34% 42% 19%
Podcast N/A 2% 2%
Online Video N/A 8% 2%
Social Networking Sites N/A 56% 37%
Instant Messenger 38% 28% N/A
Twitter / Micro blogging sites 20% 38% 27%
Wikipedia N/A 2% N/A
Company Websites N/A 8% N/A

Bin Laden and Twijer
Highest sustained rate of Tweets ever.
From Sunday, May 1 st at 10:45 p.m. to Monday, May 2 nd at 2:20 a.m. ET, there was
an average of 3,000 Tweets per second.
The Japanese earthquake had bigger spikes for more hours, but not for a significant
sustained period.
The Super Bowl had a sustained spike for more hours, but not for a significant
sustained period.
Sohaib Athar – Pakistani IT Consultant
“Helicopter hovering above Abbojabad at 1AM (is a rare event).”
Keith Urbahn – Rumsfeld’s former Chief of Staff
“So I’m told by a reputable person they have killed Osama bin Laden. Hot damn.”

Bin Laden and Twijer

Bin Laden and Twijer

Some Thoughts
on PR ImplicaQons

Tips for EffecQve Engagement
with Journalists via Social Media
Listen (otherwise you can’t hear)
Find journalists and bloggers relaQng to your client/ client subject
Follow their Twijer feeds
Connect– comment on tweets, arQcles, blog posts
Join in casual discussions and chats

Social Media
CommunicaQons Cycle
IdenQfy
Audience
Refine
Determine
How to
Communicate
Measure
Against
Benchmarks
Encourage
Desired
Results

How To Achieve
Social Media Journalist Engagement
Devote resources
Fast execuQon/response
Don’t be a jerk
Be an authenQc, yet human voice

QuesQons? Comments?
For more informaQon, please contact:
Society for New communicaQons Research
hjp://sncr.org/
T: 408.825.9288
ghernandez@sncr.org
Jen McClure, Social Strategist
Thomson Reuters
@Jen_McClure
Don Middleberg
Middleberg CommunicaQons
hjp://www.middlebergcommunicaQons.com/
T: 212.812.5680
@DonMiddleberg

About SNCR
The Society for New CommunicaQons Research is a global nonprofit research
and educaQon foundaQon and think tank founded in 2005 to focus on the
advanced study of the latest developments in new media and
communicaQons, and their effect on tradiQonal media and business models,
communicaQons, culture and society. SNCR is dedicated to creaQng a bridge
between the academic and theoreQcal pursuit of these topics and the
pragmaQc implementaQon of new media and communicaQons tools and
methodologies. The Society’s Fellows include a leading group of futurists,
scholars, business leaders, professional communicators, members of the
media and technologists from around the globe—all collaboraQng together
on research iniQaQves, educaQonal offerings, and the establishment of
standards and best pracQces.

About Middleberg
Middleberg CommunicaQons is a full‐service, independently owned public
relaQons agency with specialized experQse in the consumer, corporate and
financial services, media, and technology markets. The agency focuses on
delivering tangible results that help clients grow their businesses. Hallmarks
of the firm are smart, creaQve strategic thinking; targeted media relaQons;
and unbridled enthusiasm for clients’ business goals, all supported by good
old‐fashioned hard work. For more informaQon, visit
hjp://www.middlebergcommunicaQons.com.