A recent survey by Oglivy PR revealed social media's role in the increasingly dynamic landscape of modern media communications. The study, which interviewed 118 North American and U.K. journalists across print, broadcast, and social media, found that earned media is by far the most influential medium for influencing purchasing and business decisions.
Traditional media - newspapers, wires, magazines - remain the most trusted sources for news, but the findings reveal social's power to influence public relations. Not necessarily surprisingly, journalists who answered the survey said that they increasingly rely on social media for news consumption, with 35 percent using social for leads as opposed to 33 percent regularly looking to traditional newspapers. Broadcast came in at 11 percent, and blogs less at 5 percent.
Taken together, the study paints a picture of a modern communications model that still revolves around traditional sources, at its center, but increasingly looks to social media to get the message out, strengthen brands, and influence public opinion.
See more key findings, below:
44% of respondents believe that today's campaigns require traditional, social and paid media.
Almost half of respondents (47%) view earned media as most influential medium for driving purchasing decisions and business outcomes.
Traditional media [newspapers/wires/magazines] are the most trusted source of news, followed by influencer-driven news. Company-driven news ranked as the least influential across the board.
Majority of journalists surveyed (65%) agree or strongly agree that the more the media covers a brand, the more credible the brand appears. That said, journalists also caution that too much coverage can be a sign of trouble.
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