Survey: What journalists really want from sources

Now, as readers are getting more and more content online—a Berkeley University study from September found that the Web has surpassed newspapers as a primary news source—there’s a little more competition for readers’ eyeballs, and journalists are looking for more help to get them on their articles.

A Bliss Integrated Communication survey of more than 100 journalists (PDF) found that most consider sources who reach out to their online networks to promote articles “highly valuable.” Other findings included that reporters want only those pitches that are relevant to what they cover, prefer final rather than preliminary statistics, and really like infographics.

The numbers

The survey also found that a plurality of the reporters surveyed—31 percent—are responsible for generating content for three different media channels, mostly print, online, and for social media platforms. Some are responsible for content for as many as seven platforms.

Changing roles