More than three out of every four tech reporters surveyed said they read blogs on a regular basis, according to a study released Monday by Fusion PR.
About half of the more than 1,100 tech reporters surveyed said they read between one to three blogs every day, and nearly a third of them said that they consider blogs to be credible sources.
Another 35 percent say they have their own blogs, and 67 percent said they cite blogs in their articles.
“The topic clearly struck a chord,” said Bob Geller, Fusion PR senior vice president. “Quite honestly, we were amazed by the number of responses. Many asked for a copy of the results. It confirmed what might seem obvious, but, more than that has cast a light on the specific influence and changes driven by social media.”
Although bloggers are still regarded warily by the majority, the results show that they are increasingly considered to be credible sources and cited in articles. Further, most journalists consult only a small number of blogs, and many cited the same names, indicating the growing influence of these bloggers on article development.
Some said that time and competitive pressure have jeopardized standards for fact checking and accuracy, while others said just the opposite: increased competition and blogger scrutiny are forcing a higher level of accuracy. Some commented on how social media helps with research and is another tool for doing good reporting. Others said that there still is no substitute for picking up the phone and calling a source.
Read more about the study here.Â
