The Media Influencers Report, released by digital video communications firm D S Simon, points to communicators doing a poor job of providing proper disclosure in video content they distribute as another barrier to trust. Fewer than half of the digital media respondents felt they often or always received content with the proper disclosure.

Lack of disclosure can do damage to the PR-media relationship and to brands. Millions of dollars can be on the line and the reputations of brands can hang in the balance.

“For the first time we have specific evidence that this failure to disclose is limiting the willingness of the media to even consider using their content,” said Douglas Simon, President & CEO of D S Simon Productions.

Other key findings include:  

• 76% of producers and journalists affiliated with the digital outlets of television and radio stations, newspapers, magazines, media sites and bloggers reported using outside produced video.
• 84% of digital journalists use social networking sites to find leads on the brands you cover
• Facebook (69%), Twitter (59%) and LinkedIn (33%) were the most common networks cited for reporters getting stories from social media.
• 54% of media said they would accept a pitch through a social networking site.

As the silos between public relations, marketing and advertising have broken down and media has looked at new ways to monetize the relationship, brand integration has increasingly come under the public relations umbrella. Improving quality of your creative content, pitch angles and relationships with the media increases the percentage of media you earn rather than pay for. While brand integration has a role, earning digital media is a more credible and authentic way to communicate with your key audiences.