Cision recently released its 2022 Global State of the Media Report, which includes an in-depth survey of journalists. Our colleagues at FGS Global’s Health Media Insights newsletter read it so you don’t have to—and found the three most notable insights for communications professionals: 

• Respect reporters’ tight timelines. The report found 57% of surveyed reporters need help accessing sources and data in a timely manner, but several respondents indicated media relations professionals can be unreliable. For example, one respondent cautioned against offering a source for a time-sensitive piece unless you’re sure they’re available ahead of a deadline – offering a source without a flexible schedule is a quick way to lose a reporter’s trust. 

• Follow up on a pitch no more than once. The instinct to send follow-up emails in the hope of gaining a reporter’s attention is understandable, but journalists advise against overdoing it. More than half of surveyed journalists said you should send no more than one follow-up email, and 31% of reporters said you should never follow up at all.   

• Social media’s not the place for a pitch – unless it is. The report found 46% of reporters don’t prefer social media pitches or would block a person who sent them one, while 50% said it’s acceptable or depends on the approach. Ultimately, only 4% said they prefer it, so we recommend sparing use of social media for pitching. If you’re not sure of a reporter’s preference, we advise spending some time on their social media page to see if they regularly ask for sources or story ideas on the platform and whether they highlight their preferences in their bios. 

Deeper Dive: Interested in reading the full report? You can access it here.

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