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My erstwhile colleague-in-arms David Jones points to a Canadian report (out of Canadia? — I never tire of finding inconsistencies in English that must drive foreign learners of our language insane) that points to some interesting facts about the Canadian market.
Seeing that Canadia is very similar to Australia in cultural heritage, it’s interesting to note that:
- new media (blogs, podcasts) are seen as twice as credible (20% vs 10%) by 18-24 year-olds vs. the national average.
As David himself says, “That’s a number that I’ll be watching closely in years to come as this age group gets into positions of authority and influence in their careers.”
Apex boss, Pat McNamara sums it up:
“It’s clear that if we want to communicate with the public we need to understand where they get their information and how they are making decisions.We can’t abandon traditional media, but we also need to understand that it’s becoming increasingly vital to talk to audiences through multiple channels.”
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Gerry 11.12.07 at 4:04 pm
Lee - but I just found research suggesting that 84% of USA journos use blogs as an ideas stimulator and research tool. Confused? I am…
David Jones 11.14.07 at 12:30 am
Lee, there was a lot of interesting data in that survey, though none of it that surprising or in argument with some of the other stuff that’s out there. I got the impression the news release angle was trying to downplay the emphasis placed on new media among the PR community, but the quote seemed to land them squarely on the fence. Nevertheless, those of us who believe in this stuff know it’s early days. The numbers to focus on are where things are going in the future.
Gerry, I don’t have any real data to back it up, but I believe that journalists are looking for story ideas wherever they can find them. Blogs would be a logical place to find story tips. I sat on a panel with the National Editor of the Globe and Mail recently and he said they don’t use them as sources, but they certainly use blogs as a “tip service.” It’s not uncommon for journalists to find people to interview for stories based on entries they’ve made on their blogs that show up in Google searches.
I wonder if the public would see blogs as more credible if they knew that media were scouring them for story ideas and sources?