Swiss media professionals on the social web: open, committed - and ambivalent

Since 2015, Swiss media professionals have been providing information about the use of the social web in their day-to-day work as part of the "Journalists on the Web" study. In the second half of 2023, Bernet Relations and the Institute of Applied Media Studies IAM at the ZHAW conducted the fourth round of qualitative interviews with 20 selected Swiss journalists. The focus was on the activities of researching, publishing and discussing. They were also asked about the organization of their social media activities.

As in previous surveys, the ambivalent attitude of media professionals is striking in the current results. "Journalists appreciate the benefits of social media and are fascinated by its possibilities. At the same time, they would like to be less reliant on it," explains Guido Keel, Head of Research at IAM ZHAW.

Media professionals find the dependence on platforms, the time required and the sometimes questionable quality of the content annoying and stressful. At the same time, they appreciate the new opportunities that social media opens up, be it in finding topics, researching or communicating with specialist communities and the audience. Journalists also use social media to build their own brand, regardless of their editorial affiliation.

Differentiated assessment of credibility in searches

In previous surveys, journalists were skeptical about the credibility of research on the social web. A change can be observed here: Journalists differentiate strongly in terms of credibility according to sender and adopt content from social media for their work if they know the sender and are sure that it is an authentic statement.

More reach, unknown recipe for success

The study also reveals that media professionals use social media channels specifically to draw attention to articles and contributions. In addition, the social web expands the audience both geographically and demographically. It remains difficult to know why a story is particularly well received online. "I have the feeling that you can read a lot into the question of what works on social media," says one interviewee.

In addition, journalists are among the most avid followers of other professional colleagues. This fact contributes to a certain bubble phenomenon. Recently, the changes on Twitter/X (troll flood, X development) have also led to a certain melancholy and homelessness; some journalists have turned away and have not yet found an equivalent platform.

Discuss: Between phone and troll

Whether and how a journalist uses social media for dialog with the readership differs from medium to medium. For some interviewees, discussions with the audience lead to a follow-up story; others, on the other hand, see online dialog as a one-way street.

There is a consensus that the really relevant dialogs do not take place on social media. "An exchange begins on Facebook or Twitter. As soon as the research becomes more in-depth, journalists switch to face-to-face conversations," says Irène Messerli, co-editor at Bernet Relations. All interviewees are familiar with the unpleasant phenomenon of trolls and hate comments. Ignoring them is the most frequently chosen strategy. Nevertheless, it turns out that if you take the time and seek out digital exchange, the dialogue normalizes.

New opportunities for media professionals and communicators

Communication professionals and journalists alike appreciate using social media for uncomplicated, fast and time-delayed dialog. However, this is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting. With increasing time pressure and the abundance of digital offerings, the popularity of media conferences and events is dwindling.

Instead, media professionals are very open to new online sources and forms of information. Specialist experts and corporate influencers are becoming increasingly important as new sources for journalists. "Journalists rarely leave their editorial offices due to time and cost-cutting pressures - social media quickly brings them exciting, relevant contextual knowledge or opens up useful sources of information," explains Dominik Allemann, co-editor at Bernet Relations. This gives communication managers and experts from companies the opportunity to stand out with innovative information and exchange formats.

After 2015, 2017 and 2019, Bernet Relations and the Institute of Applied Media Studies at the ZHAW are publishing the "Journalists on the Web" study for the fourth time. The study can be can be downloaded here.