Most media centers and digital newsrooms established by the communications industry don’t meet the needs of the press, according to a survey by PR content distribution platform ISEBOX that measured the effectiveness of online communications resources.
According to the ISEBOX survey, journalists still use digital newsrooms. An overwhelming majority — 95 percent — of journalists polled claimed they access a digital newsroom or website at least once a month, and 41 percent said they visit those newsrooms daily.
However, 70 percent of journalists polled said digital newsrooms don’t meet their needs or expectations. Lack of access to PR contact information was cited as the number-one reason for these failings (69 percent), followed by a lack of access to multimedia content (65 percent). Poor search tools (54 percent) and lack of current information (53 percent) were also significant sources of press dissatisfaction.
Journalists also listed requiring passwords to access content, long releases with weak quotes, lack of high-resolution photos, lack of access to press release archives and difficulty interviewing executives as insufficiencies with digital newsrooms.
Of the most important features desired in a newsroom, an overwhelming majority of journalists polled — 90 percent — cited updated and accurate contact information, including phone numbers and emails. About three-quarters — 76 percent — said it was the ability to view and download multimedia content (photos, videos and documents,) and 71 percent listed access to current news and information.
The survey also found that 80 percent of journalists said they would be more active in seeking out a newsroom if it met their needs. Half said they found it important to have the ability to subscribe to newsroom releases, though a majority — 69 percent — said they rarely or never subscribe to those resources.
The ISEBOX survey polled more than 200 journalists in March. Full results of the survey can be viewed here.
When executed properly, PSAs have unique staying power and register with the viewer on a much different level than mere ads trying to sell something, explained 4media group chief client officer Laura Pair at the Mid-Atlantic MarCom Summit Oct. 9 in Washington, D.C.
Demystifying wire services, online only options & content syndication.
Join Shauna Nuckles of Advocation and Tony Cheevers of Researchscape as they discuss the potential of productized PR services during an O'Dwyer's recorded webinar. Discover insider strategies and real-world examples of productized service offerings.
SaaS platforms now allow businesses to effectively manage and execute their own PR campaigns, putting pressure on agencies to demonstrate the value of the “traditional” PR model.
