Facebook beats traditional media to become leading news source, according to journalists
Facebook is a better news gatekeeper than traditional media sources due to the opportunity it affords journalists to reach larger audiences and experiment with new formats, according to the Ogilvy Media Influence study.
The global average mirrored results in North America where the majority of journalists (37%) award the top spot as news gatekeeper to Facebook.
Conducted by Ogilvy Media Influence during their annual global survey of over 250 reporters and editors, the preference for Facebook reveals that most journalists [34%] believe that reporting tools on digital platforms – such as live video and podcasts – present the largest growth opportunity for news organizations to reinvent today's standard industry media model.
Facebook significantly outpaced rival social networks/digital media platforms like Google (15%) and Twitter (4%).
"Our survey demonstrates that new technology and digital media advancements are changing how we consume news," said Jennifer Risi, worldwide chief communications officer at Ogilvy.
"As a news aggregator, Facebook is exposing users to news publications they may not have read otherwise. Brands can now leverage traditional earned media to reach key audiences, that is then further amplified through social media and influencer engagement – with built in audiences – for an effective communications campaign aimed at driving reputation and building influence."
Furthermore, while print media’s struggle to adapt to the digital era has been well-documented over the last decade, 41% of journalists themselves think the medium has done a significantly better job than other traditional media tracks. In North America, 40% of journalists place print media ahead of television (31%) and newswires (19%).