Benchmark survey reveals amiable relationship between business and media in Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa (January 23, 2001) - Businesses and media in Iowa trust
each other, according to the Business:Media Index released today by Hanser
& Associates. The survey found that 90 percent of media respondents
trust Iowa's business leaders and 59 percent of business leader
respondents trust Iowa's media.
The Business:Media Index - the first survey of its kind in Iowa - was developed to evaluate the relationship between business and media in the state.
The survey also found that business executives and the media agree that reporters need better training and education to adequately report business news. In fact, 74 percent of business and 76 percent of media responded that reporters don't have sufficient backgrounds or education in economics, accounting or other business concepts to cover business issues. As two anonymous media respondents wrote, "Most of us are ill-equipped to cover business," and "That's why we need better, clearer information from businesses."
Ronald Hanser, president of Hanser & Associates, commented that survey responses will likely surprise business and media representatives. "In consulting with businesses and the media on a day-to-day basis, many of them were expecting negative evaluations. The fact that business and media agreed on several sensitive issues shows promise for improving the relationship," he said.
Despite the areas in which survey respondents agreed, there were several points on which business and media disagreed. For example, despite the overwhelming majority of media respondents who trust business, 43 percent of media surveyed also said a business leader has lied or knowingly misled them, while 100 percent of businesses responded that they have never lied or misled the media.
Another difference is the viewpoint of business and media regarding political orientation of the media. More than two-thirds (69%) of business respondents believe the media is predominantly left in political orientation, but more than three-fourths (77%) of journalists classified themselves as politically neutral.
The Business:Media Index also asked business and media to grade each other in various practice areas, such as accessibility and candidness of business spokespeople and accuracy and fairness of the media. To the surprise of many business and media representatives, Hanser & Associates found that business and media in Iowa hold fair opinions of each other. Media give businesses an overall average grade of C+, with the highest grade (B-) for interview preparedness. Business executives give journalists an average grade of C, with the highest grade (C+) for the media's ability to be factually accurate and report useful information.
Jim Aipperspach, president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI), which represents the interests of 1,500 Iowa businesses, finds the survey results encouraging. "It's good news that business and media seem to agree in several key areas. Most importantly, ABI will continue to work hard to share our business knowledge with journalists and build on the trust that is evident in the relationship between business and the media."
In fact, there is hope that business and media in Iowa can improve their relationship. When asked if antagonism between business leaders and the media is inevitable, only 29 percent of business and less than half (47%) of media said yes.
Surveys were distributed to 532 of Iowa's largest businesses. The database was compiled from information provided by the ABI and the state of Iowa. Surveys were sent to 272 daily print, broadcast and Internet news media outlets in Iowa.
Complete survey results are available by logging onto the Internet at hanser.com, or calling Hanser & Associates at 800.340.6434. Business executives, media and the public can comment on the survey results via the Web site. "We welcome an ongoing dialogue," said Hanser.
Hanser & Associates is a full-service public relations firm based in West Des Moines. The firm provides media relations, media spokesperson training and a variety of other public relations services to international, national and local businesses. Hanser & Associates is the only Iowa-based PR firm providing global resources through its equity partnership in Pinnacle Worldwide, an international network of independent PR firms in 60 cities around the world.
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PDF: Executive Summary
PDF: The 2001 Index