Cision's 2021 Global State of the Media Report (APAC Edition) Reveals Top Trends Impacting Journalists and PR Pros

HONG KONG, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With a seemingly infinite supply of crises, 2020 made an indelible mark on newsrooms around the world with a host of challenges that continue to influence the media today – from editorial strategies and work behaviors to what they want and expect from PR professionals.

To provide deeper insight into the current media landscape and how PR teams can be better partners to journalists going forward, PR Newswire's parent company, Cision has released its much-anticipated 2021 Global State of the Media Report (APAC Edition) today. The report is chock full of emerging trends you can't afford to ignore, best practices for an evolving normal and "aha" moments you can act on quickly.

This is Cision's 12th annual study and is based on a survey of more than 2,800 journalists in 19 markets* around the world from February 1 to March 1, 2021. In addition to providing a global overview, the report's APAC edition offers deeper insights into today's media landscape in the region, which spans Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

View the full report

The report features: 

• Top challenges impacting the media today
• Technology's influence on the way journalists evaluate stories
• The types of stories journalists are looking for this year
• Best and worst days and times to pitch and follow up
• Fastest ways to get on a journalist's "block/don't call" list
• Inside tips to build and maintain successful partnerships with journalists

Key Findings: 

• Journalists' views on public trust in the media have steadily improved over the last five years, but the challenge continues. More than half (53%) of journalists feel the public lost trust in the media over the last year, down from 59% in Cision's 2020 survey.
• Journalists are both overwhelmed and underwhelmed by pitches. PR pros need to build highly targeted media lists. More than 1 in 4 journalists (27%) receive over 100 pitches per week with most ending up in the virtual trash due to irrelevance. And, contrary to popular belief, a sizeable percentage say they like receiving pitches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Journalists want PR pros to help make their jobs easier. Nearly half of journalists cover 5+ beats and file 7+ stories per week. They're looking for press releases (according to 78%) and original research (68%) along with multimedia elements (photos, videos, etc) and invites to interview experts or attend events.
• PR pros need to anticipate, monitor and quickly act on trending stories. With increased competition for eyeballs, journalists are closely assessing whether a story idea has the "it factor" that will translate into traffic and social shares (and ultimately ad revenue).
• PR pros should avoid pushing journalists' biggest buttons. Spam, pitches that sound like marketing brochures, lack of transparency and following up repeatedly are among the top pet peeves for journalists.

"The global media landscape is evolving in the face of highly fragmented, 24/7 news consumption, shrinking newsrooms and the influx of non-traditional influencers," said Maggie Lower, Chief Marketing Officer for Cision.

"After a year like no other, the partnership between the media and PR pros – and the technologies they use to develop and distribute content – are becoming even more critical. PR teams who are not actively using data intelligence and newswires to guide and promote their campaigns are at risk of falling behind as they compete to have their stories heard."

PR Newswire will be hosting a 2021 State of the Media webinar in late June. Hear from journalists across APAC on how they are adapting to a fast-changing media landscape. They will also share tips on how PR pros can be a useful resource for their work in the new normal. Details of the webinar will be shared on the PR Newswire website here.

Methodology

Cision conducted its 2021 State of the Media Survey between February 1 and March 1, 2021. Surveys were emailed to Cision Media Database members, which are vetted by the company's media research team to verify their positions as media professionals, influencers and bloggers. The survey was also available to media professionals in the PR Newswire for Journalists database. This year's survey collected responses from 2,877 respondents in 19 markets* across the globe: US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

About Cision

As a global leader in PR, marketing and social media management technology and intelligence, Cision helps brands and organizations to identify, connect and engage with customers and stakeholders to drive business results. PR Newswire, a network of over 1.1 billion influencers, in-depth monitoring, analytics and its Falcon.io social media platform headline a premier suite of solutions. In addition, Cision has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Brandwatch. Cision has offices in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC. For more information about Cision's award-winning solutions, including its next-gen Cision Communications Cloud®, visit www.cision.com and follow @Cision on Twitter.