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According to Pew Research Centre, more than half of Americans get news from social media platforms, but which social platforms are the source of stories by journalists?
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The Media's love affair with X
X is journalists' most commonly used newsgathering source; however, it hasn't always been so. Initially, Editors were concerned about the lack of editorial control. They cited examples of situations where a sports journalist might tweet expletives about athletes' performances while sitting at home with a beer watching the game. As it turned out (for the most part), journalists demonstrated more restraint. Over time, journalists even started having friendly competitions about who could get the most followers and engagement, and the era of X's relationship began. Today X allows the 24/7 monitoring of reporters' beats and is often the first and last thing journalists check daily.
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The future of X
While the future of X remains unwritten, there is a great deal of disturbing news about if it has a future with the media. You can argue (and people do) about if the current and predicted changes from Twitter will see journalists moving to an alternative newsgathering source; however, you can't argue that the fourth estate is concerned. We have already seen journalists kicked off X under dubious. This behavior is contrary to the promise of free speech.
There is also evidence of a rise in hate speech and fake news, contrary to journalism's principles. In short, the answer to 'are journalists still in love with X?' is unknown.
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Making sense of the numbers
While in a recent survey, 77% of journalists said Twitter was their most valuable social media source, and a growing 24% referred to LinkedIn. In all fairness, 39% favored Facebook.
If we compare active users, Twitter has 238 million, Facebook has 2.93 billion, and LinkedIn has 875 million. When it comes to newsgathering, the numbers don't seem to make sense; however, when you look at the strengths and news credibility of each social media channel, it becomes more apparent.
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Facebook and why it's not the top news source for a journalist
Facebook has the highest number of active users and people seeking news; however, it has also been the hub of fake news. On a more positive note, Facebook is actively seeking to improve its newsgathering capabilities; however, once they improve monitoring of more nefarious content, it will be hard to change the current paradigm.
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LinkedIn and the business of newsgathering
LinkedIn has 875 active, mostly professional users. It's an excellent source for business-related (including impacts of government) news. As it's a professional environment, people are much more professional and respectful with their engagement. LinkedIn also has one of the most active groups of people seeking new employment opportunities, so anything related to employment attracts coverage. These and a growing audience of engaged users make LinkedIn an increasing source of news stories for journalists.
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Twitter: We'll be right back after this break by our sponsors
Journalists want credible news from trusted sources, media, and other journalists. As it stands today, Twitter has (and is) that source. Suppose there is a mass exodus of Twitter due to the uncertainty of its role in credible news gathering and the policies that allow journalists to deliver fact-based and well-resourced content. In that case, this could change at any time.
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Other social channels
Most other social channels show either descending interest in newsgathering by journalists or are in single digits. They are credible and reliable sources for some beats (e.g., Instagram for fashion). However, only some journalists use them for newsgathering.
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The role of social in PR strategies
Some PR strategies use social media to connect with their end target audience. Other strategies use social to communicate with the media and influencers to amplify their stories and messaging. All PR strategies work best with social content that drives engagement. In the case of individual users, that's always a personal conversation. In the case of journalists and the media, that's a conversation about a subject on which you or one of your thought leaders can demonstrate a unique, authoritative (and hopefully) newsworthy perspective.
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The final destination
Whatever the goal of social media in your PR strategy, posts are only the beginning. Ultimately you want these posts to be the gateway to more content.
For individuals, it may be a website or eCommerce solution; however, it should always be an advanced next-gen online newsroom for the media. Next-gen online newsrooms are designed to capture and nurture media contacts by providing them with approved access to resources like media kits and entire libraries of pre-approved media-compliant images and videos. Doing all the work on social media to capture the media's attention can be lost in a single click if you have yet to consider what journalists need next.
