Use data-driven PR to boost authority—and media mentions

Journalists have embraced data journalism.

The fondness for stories backed by thorough research offers PR teams juicy opportunities. Communicators can land media placements by crafting stories based on data and by producing evidence-based copy that journalists crave.

With public trust at record-low levels, data-fueled PR is an effective strategy for gaining media mentions and promoting an organization’s message.

New research supports journalists’ increasing preference for data journalism, too. Google News Lab and PolicyViz surveyed more than 900 journalists in the United States and Europe and conducted 56 in-person interviews to reveal:

Data for the post-truth era

One interviewed journalist summarized the importance of research:

Data is a good way of getting to the truth of things … in this post-truth era, this work is increasingly important. We are all desperately searching for facts.

Data journalism involves collecting and analyzing data and transforming it into easily digestible stories—often with data visualizations. Despite the substantial benefits of data-backed storytelling, few PR teams are taking advantage of it.