Interesting State of the Media Report from Vocus

Posted: April 24, 2014

How is the state of new media (blogging, online content, social media) changing the way journalists communicate and interact with PR professionals? It's a question, POMA asks often, very often. Perhaps PR folks even ask more often than POMA. Vocus, the monster PR/Marketing services firm, might be able to provide you with some insight. Its newly released "2014 State of the Media" report offers some interesting data. POMA media members, do you agree with the findings? Comment below.

In a recent press release, Vocus summed up the report:

Although some believed social media would doom the journalism industry, the new medium is actually rejuvenating the old. From driving traffic to audience engagement, here are key findings covering how journalists are using social media:

Fifty-one percent of journalists use social media to promote their stories.
Forty-nine percent of journalists use social to connect with viewers and readers.
Of the reporters that use social media to promote their stories, 87 percent use Twitter and 79 percent use Facebook.
All other social networks lagged significantly, with LinkedIn coming in third at 26 percent, Google+ at 19 percent and YouTube at 13 percent.

While most journalists are finding ways to leverage social media, they have also found limits to its effectiveness:

When journalists are pitched ideas for stories, 91 percent of reporters prefer email, while only 2.7 percent prefer social media.
Only 30 percent use social media for research.
More than 95 percent of journalists don’t believe social is a trustworthy source.
Forty-five percent of reporters don’t want to be pitched at all via social media, but 37 percent would receive a pitch via Facebook and 30 percent would receive one via Twitter.

“Our findings show a definite representation of the industry moving forward, and media companies are gaining confidence in making major purchases, changes or investing in their future,” said inVocus Editor-in-Chief Katrina Mendolera, the report’s author. “Although many newspapers have folded and magazines have decreased slightly this year, overall, the magazine industry has remained resilient. In 2013, the media, including newspapers, magazines, television and radio, have adapted to their audience by implementing digital platforms, native advertising or implemented mobile campaigns to retain followers.”

The study also examined the state of traditional media and found that rumors of its demise were greatly exaggerated. Thanks to technological capabilities, most notably streaming content delivery systems and paywalls, traditional media is working to use technology to its advantage and solidify its footing. Key media findings in newspapers, magazines, television and radio include:

Compared to 152 newspaper closures in 2012, the study found 114 folded in 2013. Fifty-nine were weekly, while 20 were online closures.
Magazine launches are gradually decreasing year to year, with only 97 new magazines debuting in 2013. This is compared to the 165 in 2012 and the 195 in 2011. Out of the new magazines, 59 were print and 38 were online launches.
Almost 100 television shows launched this year, which included local newscasts, national sports, and talk shows on cable and broadcast networks. Several political and financial shows also made debuts on PBS, CNBC and MSNBC.
As was the case last year, radio’s audience continues to rise. Over the past year, radio added 700,000 weekly listeners, reaching more than 241.8 million listeners overall.

Vocus offers the full report online.

Vocus (NASDAQ: VOCS) provides leading cloud-based marketing and public relations software that enables companies to acquire and retain customers. The company offers products and services to help clients attract and engage prospects, nurture and convert customers, and measure and improve marketing effectiveness. More than 16,000 annual subscription customers across a wide variety of industries use Vocus software.

The company is headquartered in Beltsville, MD with offices in North America, Europe and Asia.