Thanks @Public Relations, I'm noticing more and more PR driven surveys appearing in the media here, which is great but I'm amazed they are getting the coverage given they almost always support the cause of those who paid for it.

Sarah, I think you pose a very interesting question. One that can never have a satisfactory answer.

I’m struck by the fact, given those involved that there wasn’t a better story emanating from that survey. Communicators use modern communications tools, dog bites man!

It’s a perennial issue though – numbers can tell the story a lot quicker and sometimes more accessibly, and if the findings happen to provide the answer that supports your business proposition they should be used to best advantage.

It does boil down to how the survey results are presented and the prupose behind this. And that’s coming from some one who surveys for a living. You can easily judge how much credence to give by the willingness to set out the parameters of the survey and openness to scrutiny of the methodology used. Media outlets also have a lot to answer for in reporting especially if they do so without investigating those fundamentals or should we blame the need to fill column inches?

Just curious, Sarah ... did you also have a "little giggle" when the technologists proclaimed that social media would be the death of public relations ... without any research (let alone public relations industry knowledge) to back it up?

Over the course of a 6-week period during spring 2009, we surveyed 278 public relations, marketing and human resources professionals to identify trends regarding their approach to social media.

Our objective was to capture unbiased, quantitative insights on the impact of these emerging channels on organizational communications, both in terms of what activities are being employed and what skill-sets communications professionals need in today’s job market. Our report covers US-based organizations of varying size and type.

The survey was conducted online via self completion questionnaires, which were designed to provide quantitative data that allows the statistical comparison of trends and attitudes among key segments. Respondents were recruited through iPressroom, Korn/Ferry International and PRSA, providing an accurate cross-section of professionals in the public relations and marketing category in the US.

But if that's not enough to satisfy your curiosity about bias, I would also add that PRSA operates under a Code of Ethics that requires our adherence to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in communicating with the public.

Arthur Yann is vice president of public relations for PRSA.

Arthur, thanks so much for providing our readers with a good overview of the survey methodology which I have no doubt is very robust and in keeping with your ethical guidelines. I touched on this important differentiator of professional communicators in an earlier post when I was looking at the impact of social media on reputation management: http://bit.ly/ZuCXw.

The debate on who owns social media is certainly ongoing and it is amusing to see everyone claim their right to lead the way. Only this morning I saw Brian Solis' post on it http://bit.ly/2jbLrT - his viewpoint is that no one in the organisation can 'own' social media but that organisations need "a completely revamped infrastructure to support effective socialized relationships management through technology and resources". Is this where the PR / comms professional comes in - to manage that change process internally and externally to manage the reputation of the organisation during that time?