Reminder: social a strong source for media stories

Today's journalists are as pushed for time and stories as ever. In general there are fewer of them doing more stories. Speed accuracy and good sources become valuable commodities in this environment and social media is one of them.

This article in the Columbia Journalism Review: (http://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/social_media_geotagging_local_journalists.php 

is a strong reminder that traditional media absolutely use social media to look for story ideas and sources. And quite cleverly. Why wouldn't they. Journalists want a story, facts and cooperation and social channels provide all three. Add speed to that and you have a potent combination.

Based on our interactions and conversations we reckon as many as 70-80 percent of Kiwi journalists use social media as a source, probably more.

Brands should be targeting journo's in social campaigns - no spam though please (which is sadly often the case) . Brands should also look out for opportunities to become part of local stories when appropriate; pay attention to local trends and look for chances to engage, especially if you’re doing offline events. Most of all, be aware that social channels need taking into consideration whether it's a brand marketing campaign or issues management.

Finally,  social media is not a strategy or a tactic, it is a channel! At Porter Novelli we consider social and digital channels with every piece of work.