Only 22% of British journalists have registered on social media sites such as Twitter or LinkedIn, despite the fact that these tools have an estimated 70+ million followers around the globe.

An analysis by finance, education and technology PR agency TopLine Communications found that of 1800 national journalists surveyed, only 22% have registered for either a Twitter or LinkedIn account (fig. 1), and only 2.3% have profiles on both social networking sites.

The research was conducted to launch TopLine’s social media package – a PR offering designed to help clients communicate better with their target audiences by using blogs, social networks, webinars and user-generated content.

Eight of the leading national daily publications were included in the analysis which revealed that of the journalists registered on LinkedIn, only 30% had more than ten connections and fewer than half of those using Twitter were considered regular ‘Tweeters’ (having ‘tweeted’ within the last 24 hours).

Heather Baker, Director of PR, TopLine Communications, commented:  “When TV arrived, many people incorrectly predicted the death of traditional print media. When the internet was invented, print media was quick to adapt itself to the changing environment. Where social networking is concerned, we would expect to see a strong uptake of journalists in the near future because business itself has seen its potential.  More companies are coming to us to ask for help in maximising exposure via social networks and the blogosphere. They can see the benefits of getting involved but are not sure how to do so and our new service is designed to help them effectively harness these powerful resources.”

The Guardian figured best in the research with 31.4% of its editorial staff registered on either social networking site. The Sun only had 14.8% of its journalists registered.

Heather Baker continued: “While all the nationals have profiles on Twitter with thousands of followers, few journalists are yet realising the possibilities offered by social networks. Twitter, for example, is an excellent way in which to find case studies, generate meaningful debate and share ideas. London is now being described as the ‘Twitter capital of the world’ and the site’s impact on discourse around current affairs should not be underestimated. For example with over 43 million users, LinkedIn provides access to a minefield of information – an excellent resource for conducting background research.”

Media ‘early-adopters’ are realising real benefits. Hazel Davis who writes on a variety of subjects for the Guardian is a keen social networker. She has over 300 followers on Twitter and more than 600 on Facebook and uses both sites to find case studies.

Hazel commented: "I am always posting feature requests on Facebook. Recently I posted a request at 9pm for nursery teachers who teach in two languages, and by 9.10pm I was chatting on the phone to people. The feature was written by morning. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn also let you see what other journalists are writing about. It helps you keep abreast of breaking news and cultural issues."

Fig. 1