At the end of her presentation in class today Sherry Wang, my classmate, wondered whether the so called "online newsroom" posed a threat to the public relations practitioner. I tend to think not.
Although technology allows today's [lazy] journalists to access information in an easier manner than before there is nothing that indicates their behaviour has suddenly changed - or will, for that matter. Believe me, I know. I have worked as a journalist for almost 15 years.
Journalists are a bit like the resting salmon once having swum upstream during the spring for spawning. There's lot of food around but the fish is overworked, tired and picky. When the right meal comes along (sometimes a man-made fake bait) the the tail muscles work overtime to ensure a "scoop."
To hook a journalist's attention you have to use the right type of bait. When it comes to such specified methods, a simple web-link simply isn't enough unless the story is of such importance or magnitude that every media feels obliged to publish it.
However, most of the time journalist's attention needs to be aroused and their appetite whetted. And when it comes to that, skillful specialized PR practitioners do the job better than anyone else. When it comes to the art of communication an internet site or a news-release - no matter how good they might be - simply can't compete. Not yet.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
journalists can be lazy and selective
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2 comments:
Hello Siggy
I have read your post about journalists and the use of online media centres as a sourse of getting information and I have to say that I agre with you. Journalists are the people who reveal news; they should search deeper in order to find facts, news stories that are really "news" and not to stay on what a company's site "gives" them as news.
From the other hand, we have to admit that technology has got into our lives and everyone are affected by it. Consumers, corporations, individual professionals and, of course, journalists are using Internet to get the information, to communicate and to practice their everyday tasks.
I have found an article by John V. Pavlik, Ph.D., published by the IPR in Sept. 2007 that shows in stats the Internet use by journalists. Check this out:
"Internet use by journalists in general has grown dramatically since the 1990s to
become a routine part of the normal work day for reporters and editors. The 2004
Media in Cyberspace study found:
98% of the journalists say they are online at least once a day to check
email.
15 hours a week are spent by journalists reading and sending email.
76% of reporters go online to find new sources and experts.
73% of reporters go online to find press releases.
53% of journalists use email to receive story pitches. This is more than double the percent (25%) who used email to receive story pitches in 1995.
Most journalists have two email addresses. 12% have six or more.
Typically, different addresses are used or given out for different
purposes.
24% of journalists used instant messaging in 1999; by 2004, 44% did.
81% of reporters go online daily to do searching.
92% of journalists go online as part of their story research. A growing portion of journalists use corporate Web sites to obtain information. Magazine journalists in fact report that for breaking news when a live source is not available, corporate Web sites are the top choice for information".
(http://www.instituteforpr.org/research_single/mapping_the_consequences_of_technology_on_public_relations) [taken in March 15, 2008]
I totally agree that the online sources are fantastic when it comes to alls sorts of background information etc.
What I was mainly referring to was the fact that when you have to try and bring reporters attention to a news release or an event you really think ought to make the news you have to use all your personal charms, communications skills and whatever methods you possess.
Reporters are inundated with countless e-mails, URLs, text messages and whatever. Again, unless the importance of what you are working in is obvious to everyone you have to apply the human touch.
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