PR practitioners in the UK and the US rate the standards of their media counterparts higher than their colleagues in other countries do, according to a recent survey carried out by German consultancy Gartner Communications.

However, they do not think the admiration is mutual: Half of the practitioners surveyed believe journalists see them as a “necessary evil”.

In a question allowing multiple answers, 55% of U.S. respondents describe U.S. media as balanced and 40% describe them as responsible. Surprisingly, given the notoriety of the UK tabloids, only 40% of UK PR professionals say the media’s approach is sensationalist compared to 55% of German respondents. Chinese media were seen in the most negative light, with 77% of Chinese PR professionals saying the media’s approach is sensationalist and 77% who say it is cynical.

When it comes to political independence, the biggest differences can be seen between Western and Asian media. In North America and Europe, around 75% of respondents say the media are politically independent, while the same fraction in Asia says media are under “some” or even “severe political pressure.” The survey also looked at concrete PR tools and everyday journalistic practice where, for example, big differences can be found between countries in attitudes towards gifts, junkets and embargoes.

About the survey

A total of 130 PR professionals from 36 markets participated in Gartner Communications‘ online survey on www.surveymonkey.com between October 2011 and January 2012, including 32 from Germany, 25 from the US and 16 from the UK. A summary of the study is available via email to consulting@gartnercommunications.com.

Most corporate PR professionals realize that social media is important in crisis communications, but few have procedures in place for handling negative publicity in social media.

According to a survey of in-house and agency professionals by Gartner Communications in summer 2010, in-house professionals, on average,

rated the importance of social media in crisis situations at seven on a scale from 1 to 10, with more than two-thirds believing its importance will grow. But only about twenty percent of corporations surveyed have defined procedures for handling social media in a crisis, compared to 85 percent that do have such procedures for handling traditional media.

“Many companies are sitting on a social media time bomb with no procedures for defusing it,” says Ulrich Gartner, the founder of Gartner Communications. “And given the instantaneous speed of social media, there is no time to figure out your procedures once the crisis hits."

PR agencies are at least a step ahead. More than 60% of firms responding are saying they offer clients defined procedures for handling social media in crisis.

“Many corporations could make big improvements by simply adapting some elements used in traditional crisis communication to dealing with social media”, Gartner says.

About the survey: Between July 16^th and August 12^th, a total of 91 in-house and agency professionals from 31 countries filled in an online-questionnaire on www.surveymonkey.com. Of the participants, 40% have titles of Chairman, Principle, President, CEO, Managing Director, Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications, or Owner/Partner at an agency. Another 22% have a Vice President or Director title.

To receive the complete report, please send an email to ulrich.gartner@gartnercommunications.com.