PRESS RELEASE by ISEBOX

NEW YORK, NY – April 27, 2016 – New research released today shows that the provision of digital newsrooms by communications professionals is not meeting the needs of journalists. The survey, conducted by digital communications platform ISEBOX, indicates that only 6% of journalists polled say that digital newsrooms meet their expectations – with lack of access to useful contact information and multimedia content being the biggest deficiencies.

Key findings include:

Over 65% of journalists said the majority of Public Relations online resources are insufficient.

80% of journalists said they would more actively seek out a company’s newsroom if it met their needs.

Poor contact information (69%) and lack of multimedia content (65%) are the biggest failings for journalists. Poor search tools (54%) and lack of current information (53%) were also significant factors.

Matt Purdue, Director of Content Strategy at PepperComm and former journalist responded, “I’ve seen journalism change dramatically in recent years. It’s a much tougher job now, and content marketers need to make a reporter’s job easier if they’re going to expect consistent, accurate coverage. Reporters want a streamlined digital newsroom experience with easy downloads of photos and videos. The brands that meet their needs are going to gain a competitive advantage.”

Additional findings include:

95% of reporters are accessing company websites at least monthly, with 41% visiting newsrooms daily.

Journalists ranked these features as most important: having accurate contact information (90%), access to photos and video content (76%), current news and information (71%), easy search tools to find content (55%).

69% of journalists never subscribe to company emails, yet 50% stated that it was important to be able to subscribe.

Journalists, who have reported a high level of job dissatisfaction in previous reports, listed other irritants such as lack of media kits, difficulty setting up interviews, week search features, non-existent press archives and poorly written press releases as barriers to coverage.

Greg Walton, reporter for Agence France-Presse (AFP) added, “The research gets to the heart of the frustrations faced by journalists on deadline. Not having an easy to find phone number is unforgivable in the 21st Century.”

Marc de Leuw, CEO ISEBOX commented: “We see too many cases where Media Centers prioritise brand image over journalists’ needs. So while most digital newsrooms look great – far too many lack the functionality and content to do a good job. Earned Media is the Holy Grail of Comms, so we’ve really tried listening to what journalists want.”

While 70% of journalists stated that most newsrooms do not meet their needs, it was encouraging to see that 80% of journalists would seek out company Media Centers if they were improved. Check out below infographic for more interesting details.