Where have all the reporters gone? A new study contradicts the notion that journalists are more likely to publish press releases without changes because of smaller newsroom staffs. Photo credit: David Sim
Disappearing journalism jobs and the corresponding rise in public relations positions has transformed reporters into hacks who publish press releases verbatim, some claim.
Newsrooms are under pressure to do more with smaller staffs. Growing ranks of PR pros, some who are former reporters, are showering journalists with more press releases. Reporters desperate to fill column inches or web pages before deadline are more willing to run the press releases without editing. That’s the perception.
Research from a Georgia Southern University political scientist Michael Romano disproves that scenario. Romano tracked 10,000 congressional press releases for his research paper “Ventriloquism or an Echo Chamber? Measuring the Strength of House Members’ Rhetoric in Local Newspapers.”
Romano randomly picked 60 Congressmen in office from 2009 to 2010, and then used computer software to match their press releases against stories on websites and print editions of newspapers in their districts.
Some academic literature suggests that the press is now less critical, a trend that some believe endangers our democracy. Given the obvious financial difficulties of newspapers, Romano expected to find that many news outlets blindly regurgitate press releases.
“I have shown that there is a significant level of echoing that occurs between members of Congress and the press,” Romano writes in the paper. “However the level of mirroring is not so high as to conclude that members of the press are mouthpieces for representatives to utilize.”
“I was surprised, quite honesty, by what I did find,” he told Poynter. “The notion that the press can’t come up with its own stories, and just acts as a propaganda arm, is a myth.”
Some press releases were not published. Some were picked up by most outlets in the district. “Well-written releases that cater to a general audience do get used more often,” he concluded.
The Rise of ‘Churnalism’
Despite the research, some media observers say they’ve noticed more press releases masquerading as journalism. Although they may have a reporter’s byline, the articles are essentially press releases published with few changes and little added value – what some call “churnalism.”
Former journalist Nick Davies calls the phenomenon “flat earth news.” Journalists are so overstretched and pressed for time they don’t question the information they receive, he argues in his book, “Flat Earth News.” Instead of specializing, many reporters must jump from topic to topic. That deprives them of the ability to master a subject in-depth and prompts them to accept press releases without questions. The result is stories that are as incorrect as the idea that the earth is flat.
NutraIngredients-USA.com, a news site covering dietary supplements, saw churnalism and flat earth news in mainstream media coverage of supplements.
The University of Colorado Cancer Center issued a statement about doctor Tim Byers saying over-the-counter supplements may increase cancer if taken in excess of the recommended amount. Many mainstream media outlets ran the release almost word-for-word, despite its shortage of facts and outdated data source.
An update to the release noted that Byers’s comments were based on his article published in 2012, with the comment: “Many recent news reports stemming from this news release present incomplete data.”
Bottom Line: Media pundits say news outlets are more likely to publish press releases without checking facts or adding information because of their diminished resources and constant time pressures. However, a recent academic study contradicts that belief.
What’s your opinion? Are more journalists running press releases almost as is? Please comment below.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
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