Full Article

by Jim Dougherty (@jimdougherty)
Originally published in PR Daily (@PRDaily) on March 31, 2015

In this article, PR Daily contributor and PRSA member Jim Dougherty details the statistics on journalists’ use of social media, and how/when it’s appropriate for PR professionals to interact with the media through the various channels.

Dougherty cites a recent Cision UK study that states 96 percent of journalists use social media every day, with the largest percentages on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn (1). In his examination of each channel, he distinguishes between interacting with journalists, and pitching them. While many journalists are active on social media, a recent PRSourceCode study discovered that they prefer the traditional email (99 percent) or phone call (43 percent) pitch (2). Dougherty goes on to detail best practices for each social media channel – Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, blogs/Tumblr, Facebook, and Instagram – and when it is and isn’t appropriate to make contact through each channel. He concludes by stressing the importance of using social media appropriately, and not being so quick to let it replace the “tried and true” method of email pitching.

Sources

(1) Social Journalism Study 2013 United Kingdom, Cision and Canterbury Christ Church University (UK) http://www.cision.com/uk/files/2013/10/social-journalism-study-2013.pdf

(2) 2013 Top Tech Communicators survey, PRSourceCode http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/Pitching_via_LinkedIn_Survey_shows_a_disconnect_15260.aspx