Study "Journalists on the Web 2017": Ambivalence in Researching, Publishing and Discussing

21 selected Swiss media professionals from different types of media and with different journalistic roles told the IAM and Bernet_PR about their use of social media between fall 2016 and spring 2017. These are taking up more and more space in everyday journalistic life. However, most of those surveyed were ambivalent about the topic. Guido Keel, Head of Academic Studies/IAM ZHAW: "Media professionals appreciate the quick access to information and the feedback from the audience. At the same time, they are aware of the limits and distortions in social media."

Research: Source of inspiration and contact possibility
All of the journalists surveyed use social media for research. Social media monitoring is a key starting point for finding topics. Younger media professionals in particular also use their social media channels to search for experts or eyewitnesses - and also contact them via these channels. However, the credibility of these channels is viewed critically. The following applies: information must be confirmed by a second, independent source outside of social media.

Publishing: Self-PR and new requirements
Media professionals use their social media profiles as a PR tool. They share articles and contributions on these additional channels, making them accessible to a wider audience. It is striking that most editorial offices do not have any binding guidelines for publishing articles. The interviewees assume that the new possibilities go hand in hand with audience expectations. For example, recipients also expect more and more moving images from radio and print media via their online channels.

Audience dialog: Listening, asking and responding
The media professionals surveyed particularly value the opportunity to learn more about the audience's usage behavior in online media. Feedback from the audience also represents added value for them. More and more media are actively seeking dialog with the public. "Journalists use social media as an indicator of audience interest. Organizations should also take note of the topic clues from the online dialogue between journalists and the public," says Irène Messerli, co-editor at Bernet_PR, summarizing the importance for communication professionals. However, media professionals find it difficult to assess which topics generally generate the greatest response from the public. There is only one point on which the respondents agree: politics is difficult to communicate on social media.

For journalists and PR professionals
PR professionals and journalists benefit mutually from the direct, uncomplicated contact opportunities offered by social media. Journalists benefit from image, sound or film material from social media platforms. Accordingly, organizations with interactive and multimedia offerings can set themselves apart from the competition - provided the quality is right.

The traditional media remain important for broad relevance and attention. Journalists and organizations alike present their work and variety of topics on their own social media channels. Dominik Allemann, co-editor at Bernet_PR emphasizes: "Online media work is becoming an important driver of social media engagement for organizations. As an important online audience, media professionals must be taken into account in topic and dialog management."

Selected quotes from the interviews with the media representatives:

"It's actually a small circle (on Twitter) that fires each other up. The scene therefore runs the risk of overestimating itself or what happens on Twitter. You have to take a step back from time to time and put it all into perspective." Simone Luchetta, SonntagsZeitung and Tages-Anzeiger.

"Criticism triggers something in the mind. It's important for me to know what the audience thinks about our work." Sandro Brotz, reporter and presenter of SRF Rundschau.

"Speed is key in the digital space. Media watch other media to take over stories." Christian Hug, Managing Director of zentralplus.

"Facebook can never replace face-to-face meetings and on-site research. I would never just do research in the office. I talk to people and when they give me input, I use Facebook and Twitter on my cell phone to do my research." Nico Nabholz, video journalist/reporter for TeleZüri.

"People used to call or write an email. Today it's done via Facebook. We get honest feedback here - more honest than if we asked for it." Michael Wettstein, editor of Radio Argovia.

"On the one hand, media users have other ways of informing themselves. Every interest group can present its view of things. But that's exactly what journalists are looking for: You can see who is traveling with whom, who knows whom. You used to need informants for that." Kurt Pelda, investigative journalist at Tages-Anzeiger.

"The (audience on Twitter) does not necessarily coincide with the audience of the "Arena". They often behave very differently to those on social media. When I see the feedback and input we receive in the traditional way - by letter, email or in person - the messages are completely different to those on social media." Jonas Projer, Editorial Director SRF Arena.

"Video contributions bring clicks. For us as a radio station, this is a new world. When a barn burns, it's not interesting as a news item. But when you see the meter-high flames shooting out of the barn, people watch." Ralph Weibel, Head of Radio FM1.

"Pure information is less important for newspapers today; it's about categorizing or evaluating information. Things are moving more and more in this direction, especially because of social media." Etienne Wuillemin, Head of Sports at Schweiz am Sonntag and Nordwestschweiz.

"You have to be extremely careful and not use everything immediately. (...) As a fast medium, you want to publish quickly. It's no secret that the two-source principle is sometimes violated." Simon Balissat, editor of Radio 24.

"Twitter is a kind of filter for me: if you follow the right people, you find out things that would otherwise get lost in the flood of information." Rafaela Roth, Head of Reporter at watson.ch (now Tages-Anzeiger).

"I get requests, input and comments all the time - even when I look at the display at night, there's something new." Jean-Claude Frick, tech blogger iFrick.ch.

"For me, Instagram expresses the big wide world. In contrast, I see Facebook - especially in the groups - as being made up of different small villages." Andrea Jansen, TV personality, journalist, blogger.

"I don't think there are two me. I'm also an NZZ editor on Twitter at the same time. A bit more playfully, but as the same person. That's how I try to behave." Rainer Stadler, Media Editor NZZ.

"Social media has not revolutionized everything. It is an extension of the range in the form of an infrastructure, but it does not replace any previous channel." Fabienne Romanens, Head of Social Media Tages-Anzeiger.

"In the morning, I check the various channels to see if anything has come in. I used to go to news apps like NZZ and Tagi, but now I go to Twitter." Rino Borini, publisher and editor-in-chief of business magazine Punkt.

"Everything is already somewhere. We have to be careful that we don't just recycle what's already there." Melanie Borter, editor-in-chief of Grosseltern Magazin.

"Social media channels offer me an additional level of access to information." Nick Lüthi, editor in charge of Medienwoche.

"I don't like to squeeze my opinion into 140 characters. I hope I've made them clear in the article itself." Martin Beglinger, editor in charge of NZZ History.

"Online tools are omnipresent in everyday working life. Sometimes you wonder how things used to be done. But it's gone, it's just different." Werner Huber, specialist editor for architecture at Hochparterre.

"It is very difficult to separate my private person from the presenter Simon Moser. Energy has this problem with its presenters throughout Europe. Where do I post? On my private page or on the Energy page? Where is it my right to say something, where can the broadcaster dictate to me? At Energy, we so-called 'top influencers' have a contract in which these points are clearly regulated." Simon Moser, morning show host at Radio Energy Bern.

_{The study, including journalist portraits and application tips for journalists and PR people, is available in various formats from the publisher book & net.}