Study Finds Top Challenges Journalists Face Include Combating Fake News, Filing Stories at a Faster Rate and Attracting New Audiences

Cision's 2022 State of the Media Report outlines need for effective and efficient relationships between media and public relations

 A vast majority of journalists (91%) say only about half the pitches they receive are relevant

TORONTO, May 27, 2022 /CNW/ - While access to high-quality journalism and credible reporting have never been more prevalent, the media's role has never been more challenging as they face mounting pressure to increase output, produce compelling content that stands out in a 24-hour news cycle, and drive engagement.

Cision, a comprehensive communications platform helping public relations and marketing professionals around the world understand, influence and amplify their stories, released its annual State of the Media report with responses from more than 3,800 journalists from 17 global markets to understand key challenges faced in a marketplace that is rapidly evolving, and how public relations can support first-rate and trustworthy reporting.

According to the report, journalists' biggest challenge is maintaining credibility as a trusted news source (32%) and combating accusations of "fake news." A close second, journalists cite the impact that smaller staffs and fewer resources are having on their workloads. In fact, three in ten journalists (29%) are filing 10 or more stories per week.

"It's no longer a journalist's job to just deliver the news, and that opens the door for professional communicators to successfully partner with the media to ensure stories are being told in a fast, effective and relevant manner," said Nicole Gulliot, President of PR Newswire powered by Cision.

When it comes to the sources journalists find most useful for generating stories or story ideas, more than a third of journalists (37%) cited press releases, making it the top answer. More than three quarters (76%) want to receive press releases from brands and PR pros over any other type of content. Trends and market data rank second (63%) and nearly half (49%) want event invitations.

"Press releases still reign supreme and are the preferred method of delivering news to the media in a legitimate, thoughtful and urgent way," said Gulliot.

To create stronger relationships with reporters, PR pros must be aware of the following:

• Accurate and sourced information: Nearly two-thirds (60%) find it inexcusable to provide anything less, given the heightened criticism for credibility and audience trust.
• Stay on deadline: If they don't feel like PR pros are respecting their time, a significant number of journalists (22%) say they won't make time for those PR pros.
• Stop the spam: The vast majority of journalists (74%) won't tolerate "being spammed with irrelevant pitches," which is all the more reason to make sure pitches are targeting the right media. In fact, only 9% of journalists say the majority of the pitches they receive are relevant.
• Include multimedia: images, videos and infographics: 22% of journalists say publicists can make their jobs easier by providing such content in their pitches and press releases. More than half (54%) say they are more likely to cover a story if the pitch includes multimedia up front.

"When it comes to the relationship between communications industry professionals and journalists, it's all about easing the burden for the media," said Guillot. "It starts with knowing the right journalists to speak to, building a partnership based on trust, and understanding the audience you are both trying to reach together."

Cision's 2022 State of the Media Report: Insights PR Pros Need to Win Over Journalists

Cision conducted its 2022 State of the Media survey throughout January and February 2022. Surveys were emailed to Cision Media Database members, who are vetted by the company's media research team to verify their positions as media professionals, influencers and bloggers. We also surveyed members of our HARO (Help a Reporter Out) database and made the survey available to media professionals in the PR Newswire for Journalists database. This year's survey collected responses from 3,890 respondents in 17 markets across the globe: U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, China, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The survey language was translated and localized for each market and then the results were tallied together to form this global report.

Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud®and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter.

SOURCE Cision Ltd.