British study explores link between PR and news
Most of the journalism produced by Britain’s national newspapers is “pre-packaged” or “recycled” news derived from public relations material and wire services, according to a recent study by researchers at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural studies. At least 19 per cent of press stories originated wholly or mainly from PR material, the researchers reported. Other findings: Print journalists are producing three times the copy they did 20 years ago and are doing less fact-checking and contextualizing as a result; broadcast news outlets are less dependent on PR and news wires for their material but continue to rely heavily on newspapers when deciding their news lineup. (Note: You can download the entire study; use Word to open.)
Most of the journalism produced by Britain’s national newspapers is “pre-packaged” or “recycled” news derived from public relations material and wire services, according to a recent study by researchers at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural studies. At least 19 per cent of press stories originated wholly or mainly from PR material, the researchers reported. Other findings: Print journalists are producing three times the copy they did 20 years ago and are doing less fact-checking and contextualizing as a result; broadcast news outlets are less dependent on PR and news wires for their material but continue to rely heavily on newspapers when deciding their news lineup. (Note: You can download the entire study; use Word to open.)
