2021年新闻报告（英）-37页_5mb

The State of Journalism 2021 Summary

Core Content

This document presents the findings of a survey conducted by Muck Rack in early 2021, exploring how journalists are adapting to the challenges and opportunities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides insights into journalists' reporting habits, media relations preferences, and their use of social media for news consumption and dissemination.

Main Findings

Social Media and News Consumption

• Impact of COVID-19 on Reporting: 86% of journalists reported that their work was affected by the pandemic, with many citing multiple factors.
• Optimism Levels: 58% of journalists are optimistic about the future of the profession, consistent with previous years (2018: 55%, 2019: 57%, 2020: 58%).
• Preferred News Sources: 58% get their news from online newspapers or magazines (down from 60% in 2020), while 16% rely on Twitter (down from 22% in 2020).
• Credible Sources: Journalists predominantly trust academic experts and CEOs as credible sources. They also find company PR professionals more credible than agency PR professionals (55% vs 34%).
• Social Media Usage:
  • Most Valuable Network: Twitter is the most valuable social network for journalists (76%), followed by Facebook (38%), LinkedIn (23%), and Instagram (15%).
  • Time Spent on Social Media: 37% of journalists plan to use Twitter more, while 34% plan to use Facebook less. The majority (68%) prefer to receive pitches between 5 AM and 12 PM EST.
  • Pitches Received: 50-75% of journalists receive 1-5 pitches per business day, which translates to 5-25 pitches per week.
  • Stories Published: 50% of journalists publish 5 or more stories per week.
  • Pitches as Story Sources: 19% of journalists said none of their stories originated from pitches, while 61% said a quarter of their stories came from pitches.

Media Relations and Pitching Preferences

• Outdated Communication: 62% of journalists believe that most companies' methods of sharing information with the media are outdated.
• Relationship with PR Teams:
  • Only 6% of journalists see their relationship with PR professionals as a partnership.
  • 59% view it as 'mutually beneficial, but not quite a partnership'.
  • 17% see it as a necessary evil, and 18% describe it as antagonistic.
• Pitch Response Trends:
  • Journalists are just as likely to respond to pitches as they were in 2020.
  • 22% said they are less likely to respond, 22% more likely, and 56% the same.
• Reasons for Rejecting Pitches:
  • Top Reasons: Bad timing (25%) and 'Other' (25%), which included responses like 'irrelevant', 'random', and 'not localized'.
  • Next: Lack of personalization (21%).
• Preferred Pitching Channels:
  • 1:1 email is the most preferred method (88%).
  • Phone is the least preferred (10%).
  • Social media is used less frequently for pitching.
• Follow-up Preferences:
  • 90% of journalists are okay with at least one follow-up email.
  • 38% accept 2 or more follow-ups.
  • 86% are okay with a follow-up within one week, while 14% prefer it more than a week later.
• Exclusives: 78% of journalists are at least somewhat more likely to cover a story if offered an exclusive.

Key Takeaways

• Journalists are increasingly reliant on online platforms for news consumption and reporting.
• Twitter remains the most valuable social network, despite a slight decline in its popularity.
• Journalists are more cautious about pitches, with bad timing and irrelevance being the main reasons for rejection.
• Email is the preferred pitching channel, and follow-up is generally accepted within a week.
• Exclusives are effective in increasing the likelihood of a story being covered.
• The profession is still optimistic, with a majority believing in its future despite ongoing challenges.

Audience Breakdown

• Role Distribution:
  • 62% are full-time editorial writers or bloggers.
  • 19% are freelance journalists.
  • 12% are part-time journalists.
  • 7% are in other roles, including retirement and unemployment.
• Experience:
  • 37% have over 20 years of experience.
  • 23% have 10-20 years.
  • 17% have 6-10 years.
  • 16% have 3-5 years.
  • Under 6% have less than 2 years.
• Medium Preference:
  • 30% primarily report in print.
  • 42% are online-only.
  • 10% use TV, 8% use radio, and 2% use newsletters.
• Coverage Beats:
  • 47% cover politics, business, or legal.
  • 33% cover regional or local news.
  • 32% cover business and finance.
  • 25% cover health, wellness, and fitness.
  • 20% cover technology and telecoms.
  • 19% cover sports.
  • 17% cover food and dining.
  • 16% cover travel.
  • 8% cover fashion and beauty.

Additional Insights

• Industry Coverage: Journalists cover a wide range of industries, with some common clusters including agriculture, art or culture, automotive, crime, education, and religion.
• Location: Journalists are based in various locations, with the survey data showing a diverse geographical spread.
• Age and Tenure: The survey includes a broad age range and tenure distribution, indicating a mix of experienced and newer journalists in the field.

This summary highlights the evolving landscape of journalism in 2021, emphasizing the importance of personalization, timing, and the role of digital platforms in shaping news consumption and media relations.