Social Media May be a Source but is it a Reliable One?

February 16, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

February 16, 2010 – According to results of a recent study conducted in cooperation by Cision and George Washington University, social media websites, like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter, continue to increase in their importance as journalistic sources. Based on responses from 371 Print and Web Journalists, the 2009 Social Media & Online Usage Study findings indicated an increased reliance upon social media websites for source information. Ironically, the increased usage of social media did not necessarily indicate trust in them as reliable sources for information. The study included eleven questions regarding various aspects of journalistic research, such as the degree of use of social media, use of search engines, and factors influencing levels of trustworthiness. Following are a few highlights of the study’s findings.

How much is social media used by journalists?

The study broke social media down into two categories, microblogging websites (i.e. Twitter) and social networking websites (i.e. Facebook). When polled, 56% of journalists said social media sources are an important part of their research process. Of that total, though, respondents indicated increased use of social networking websites over microblogging websites. This response brings up a good question. Is information found on Facebook considered more reliable than that posted on microblogging websites, such as Twitter?

Which is a more reliable source of information, blogs or corporate websites?

While 89% of journalists reported using blogs as sources of information, it is no surprise that information from corporate websites is used 96% of the time. While neither source can be expected to be completely objective in its presentation of information, it can be generally agreed upon that the legal implications of misrepresenting information makes corporate websites more trustworthy. This is not to say that bloggers are not objective or trustworthy, it is often difficult to gauge if they are freelancers who do it for the love of the game or are sponsored by advertisers who may want information pertaining to them presented in a more favorable light.

Are “how much” and “how many” considerations in determining source value?

The study also reported that 75% of respondents use informal metrics to determine the validity of a potential source. Of those who responded, 75% say they specifically look at how many visitors the website gets and how many comments are submitted. A good example of this would be comparing this website to Mashable. While both may present an objective story on a recent, newsworthy event, the sheer volume of traffic and high number of comments received for each post makes Mashable much more likely to be used as the source. Along the same lines, the study also showed trust for microbloggers (e.g. Twitterers) to increase, as the number of their followers also increases. This could be interpreted as saying that a journalists level of trust increases, as the public’s trust in them does.

Is social media really a trusted source?

While the survey’s results leave no doubt that the use of social media is increasing, the results did not necessarily reflect increased trust in the communication medium. While a meager 2% of those surveyed indicated a higher degree of trust of information obtained from social media sources, 85% indicated they felt social media information was less reliable than that obtained from traditional media. The key factors in this area were the total years of experience held by the journalist, as well as the medium for which they work. Not surprisingly, journalists who worked for websites were more likely to rate traditional and social media as nearly equal in trustworthiness. Print media journalists, though, were 12% more likely to find social media sources to be less trustworthy. Of the total number of participants, the top reasons for not trusting social media sources included the failure to vet information and sources properly before reporting.

The Cision press release and complete results of the survey, to include a break down of individual question and responses, is available at the official Cision website. (Note: Full access requires completion of basic information, to include name, address, telephone, etc.)