- POLITICO returns to the top spot as most influential EU media
- Reuters jumps to second place with a 10% rise in influence
- Professional colleagues and personal contacts still key for 9 in 10 decision-makers
- EU decision-makers using LinkedIn at least once a week up 8%
POLITICO has replaced the Financial Times as the most influential media for EU decision-makers, according to the 2022 edition of the survey by BCW Brussels and Savanta ComRes. Four in five (80%) EU decision-makers consider POLITICO to have influence over their decisions, an increase of 5% from 2020. Reuters has seen a 10% surge in its influence and is now the second most influential EU media. The BBC’s influence drops by 13%.
Since 2016, the EU Media Poll has surveyed EU decision-makers – including Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), EU officials and opinion-formers – on the sources of news and information they rely on to make their decisions. The survey also explores how media and social media compare with other sources of influence, including professional colleagues, personal contacts and events.
"By providing robust, evidence-based insights on which channels have the most impact and influence, the EU Media Poll remains a go-to reference for communications professionals looking to understand and influence EU decision-makers," said Andrew Cecil, CEO of BCW Brussels.
"At a time when there are an unprecedented number of global events impacting our daily lives, from Covid-19 through to the invasion of Ukraine, it’s clear that high-quality, trustworthy journalism is still critical to shaping decision making among influencers," said Meghan Oliver, Senior Director at Savanta ComRes.
While Reuters comes in second overall, respondents were more likely to consider the Financial Times ‘very’ influential (33%). Those who consider POLITICO ‘very’ influential most often cite insider access as the key reason, whilst Reuters is recognised for its trustworthiness and the Financial Times for its positive reputation.
Twitter is the only social media in the top ten sources of influence, seen as influential by 58% of respondents. WhatsApp and Twitter remain the most frequently used social apps among decision-makers, with those saying they use LinkedIn at least weekly increasing by 8% since 2020. Signal, included in the survey for the first time this year, also emerges as a key challenger, used at least once a week by three in ten decision-makers, driven by high usage among EU institution officials.
For the first time this year, the survey asked respondents how they usually access the information they need to make informed decisions, with e-mail newsletters (79%) and online news sites (79%) emerging as the preferred sources.
More than nine in ten say that professional colleagues are influential in providing them with what they need to make informed decisions (94%), with EU institution staff most likely to say colleagues are ‘very’ influential. Since 2020, both international media sources (-8%) and meetings with stakeholders or lobbyists (-15%) have declined in influence.
The full results of the survey can be found on the BCW Brussels and Savanta ComRes websites. The findings will be presented and analysed at an event at the Press Club Brussels on 29 September. For more details: follow us on Twitter @BCWBrussels.
Media Contacts
Georgina Unsworth, BCW Brussels, [email protected]
Meghan Oliver, Savanta ComRes, [email protected]
