London, 7 July 2010 – Journalists today have greater demands than ever on their time; have less scope to research stories; and labour in an environment of continued uncertainty, according to a study published today by the Oriella PR Network.
For all these challenges, however, the third annual Digital Journalism Study finds journalists positive about the impacts of digital and social media on their output, and overall job satisfaction remains overwhelmingly high.
The study polled 774 journalists from 21 countries, including Brazil, Germany, the UK and US. Nearly half of the respondents (46 per cent) to this year’s study said they are expected to produce more content than before, and one in three (30 per cent) are working longer hours. However, nearly half (46 per cent) said their work has improved as a result of digital and social media – an increase from 39 per cent in 2009 - and just 17 per cent said their job satisfaction had declined as a result.
At the same time, the study uncovered growing uncertainty over the future of ‘offline’ media, such as print, TV and radio. Forty per cent of the respondents expect advertising revenues to fall by more than a tenth, and over half of the respondents expressed the belief that their publications’ current offline formats may fold and be taken off the market at some point in the future (2009 figure: 32 per cent). However, 40 per cent – and more than half of those polled in the UK, Spain, USA, Brazil and Eastern Europe - believed that the transition to new media would create new opportunities.
In response, growing numbers of publications are researching, or have implemented paid-content strategies. Nearly one respondent in four (22 per cent) said their publication is researching or has launched smartphone apps in order to deliver paid-content to mobile users and sixteen per cent are researching paid-content for iPads and e-readers. 25 per cent said their publication is considering flat-rate subscriptions and nearly a third (30 per cent) only offer online content to existing print subscribers.
The study also demonstrates the extent to which digital and social media – i.e. blogs, Twitter and audiovisual content - have embedded themselves in newsrooms. Fewer than 15 per cent of the journalists surveyed said their publications support no social or digital media at all – down from nearly a quarter two years ago. Meanwhile, adoption of blogs and Twitter has continued to grow, with 47 per cent saying their publications have journalist-authored blogs, and 40 per cent saying their publications use Twitter (see chart below).
Tristan Davies, Executive Editor of The Sunday Times, commented, “We believe that our journalism has a value whether it appears in print, online or on mobile devices and that people are prepared to pay for quality. The Sunday Times digital experience - with exclusive video, stunning multimedia galleries, interactive graphics and access to some of the best writers in the country - is fantastic value for money. The arrival of iPad and the explosion of mobile media means we will be to give people The Sunday Times however they want it, wherever they are and whenever they want it. We think that's worth paying for. The Times and The Sunday Times may be the first British newspaper to introduce subscriptions for their websites but it's clear from this survey that other media groups are actively working on ways of making their digital content pay.”
Giles Fraser, Co-Head of the Oriella PR Network and Co-Founder of Brands2Life, said: “Our third annual study shows how widely digital and social media have embedded themselves into media organisations. While there is still a lot of experimentation going on, it is clear that publications see the greatest opportunities in their digital operations – not just in terms of offering new platforms for publishing content, but also in terms of making that content pay.”
“As these changes play out in newsrooms, communicators should expect journalists to become more demanding: their content will need to be of high quality to attract the revenues media bosses expect. In order to secure cut-through for brands in this environment, communicators must make sure their public relations is both coordinated across both social and conventional media, and addresses the basic requirements of news-gathering: strong news hooks, compelling comment and excellent, relevant visuals.”
About the 2010 Digital Journalism Study
The Digital Journalism Study was compiled in May and June 2010, using an online survey of 774 journalists from broadcast, national, regional and trade media across Belgium, Brazil, Eastern Europe, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, The UK and The US. This year sees the inclusion of journalists from Brazil, Eastern Europe and the US for the first time.
The full report can be downloaded from: www.orielladigitaljournalism.com (registration required).
About the Oriella PR Network
The Oriella PR Network is an alliance of 17 communications agencies in 20 countries around the world. Our partnership of independent agencies was built upon a set of global best practices and close working relationships not offered by others of its kind. The network was founded by Brands2Life and Horn Group with the support of agencies around the world with whom they have worked successfully on client projects - in some cases for many years. Oriella partners exist in major and secondary markets throughout The Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific.
For further information:
Website: www.oriellaprnetwork.com
Blog: www.oriellaprnetwork.com/blog
Twitter: twitter.com/oriellanetwork
The study polled 774 journalists from 21 countries, including Brazil, Germany, the UK and US. Nearly half of the respondents (46 per cent) to this year’s study said they are expected to produce more content than before, and one in three (30 per cent) are working longer hours. However, nearly half (46 per cent) said their work has improved as a result of digital and social media – an increase from 39 per cent in 2009 - and just 17 per cent said their job satisfaction had declined as a result.
Digital Journalism Survey 2010.pdf