Salas de imprensa online em Portugal: a sua utilização pelas empresas do PSI 20 na sua relação com os jornalistas/Online newsrooms in Portugal: their use by PSI20 companies in their relationship with journalists

Resumen

Resumen

El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las salas de prensa virtuales de las empresas que cotizan en la Bolsa de Lisboa (PSI20); y evaluar su importancia en la relación entre las organizaciones y periodistas. Se busca identificar las principales denominaciones dadas a las salas de prensa online, su ubicación en el sitio web de la organización y nivel de acceso, y el tipo de contenidos disponibles. También se presentan las opiniones de periodistas portugueses de economía sobre el tipo de contenido que buscan en estas salas. Se utilizó un enfoque metodológico mixto, el análisis del contenido  de los sitios web de las empresas en estúdio; y un cuestionario aplicado a los periodistas portugueses de economía. Los resultados muestran que los recursos disponibles en las salas de prensa de las empresas en estudio son insuficientes. Sólo tres de los sitios web analizados no tienen sala de prensa, las existentes son fácilmente reconocibles y localizadas por los periodistas - por la denominación predecible, por la ubicación en la página principal y por la ausencia de barreras en el acceso a la información (registro o login).

Palabras claves:Relaciones Públicas, Periodistas; Salas de prensa virtuales,Index PSI20

Abstract

The Internet has brought new tools that allow organizations to communicate with their different publics. As journalists are one of the main interest groups for organizations, it becomes relevant to understand the changes that this medium introduces in the exercise of public relations and journalism functions, and in what way has affected the relationship between the two types of communication professionals. The new medium has caused changes in journalists' work routines, due to the new platforms that allow the dissemination of news and Internet searches that save costs and time in collecting information.

Within the website, the development of online pressrooms, a space that gathers information of potential interest to journalists, facilitated the consultation and collection of information about organizations. However, previous studies on online newsrooms have shown that, although organizations increasingly rely on this tool to establish relations with journalists, their use is still incipient.

The objective of this study is to understand the use of online newsrooms of companies listed on the Lisbon Stock Exchange, in Portugal (PSI20), assessing their importance in the relationship between organizations and journalists. It seeks to identify the main names given to online newsrooms, their location on the organization's website and level of access, and the type of content made available. We have also collected opinions of Portuguese economic journalists on the type of content they seek in these newsrooms. We used a mixed methodological approach with content analysis of the websites of the companies and a survey applied to Portuguese economic journalists. The results show that although only three of the websites analyzed do not have an online newsroom, and that the existing ones are easily used by journalists, the resources made available in the online newsrooms of the companies under study are insufficient.

Throughout the investigation, it was noticed that, although some companies provide more resources that meet the needs of journalists than others, in general, there is an insufficiency of materials valued by the journalists in the online newsrooms of the companies of PSI20. In terms of multimedia content, the existing gaps do not seem to be as deep as those highlighted in previous studies. The shortcomings in terms of content, such as the lack of a mechanism to allow personalized search in the archive, leads journalists to reveal some frustrations.

Although the line of action of the companies of the PSI20 goes through continuing to privilege the traditional channels for sending new information, and only later published in the online newsroom, it is recognized the importance of building a file with official information, which contextualize the company. It should be noted, however, that the use of online newsrooms as a mere archive of information is far from allowing the deepening of the relationship between companies and journalists as a priority public.

Keywords: Public Relations,  Journalists,  online pressrooms, Index PSI20.