Instant messaging for journalists and PR-Practitioners: A study of four countries

Abstract

The paper presents the results of an exploratory research of the use of instant messaging in the professional communication of journalists and public relations specialists. The study was conducted in four countries of the Eurasian Economic Union: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. The main method of research was an expert poll. The authors have interviewed 256 experts in the field of journalism and PR. The data were collected in December of 2017. The participating experts had to meet two requirements: to have considerably solid job experience and to use messenger applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Viber, etc. for professional purposes. The study shows that instant messaging has become an important communication tool for journalists and PR-specialists who choosing to use messengers for reasons of convenience, speed, and privacy.