Online videos and social media and are increasingly popular among EurActiv’s politically-oriented audience, according to EurActiv’s latest Readership Survey, compiled by Gallup and released today. Of EurActiv’s readers across 12 languages, the majority read blogs and see them as a professional opportunity to engage with citizens and stakeholders.
 
Compared with a previous survey, conducted in 2007, the percentage of EurActiv readers who frequently watch videos online has nearly doubled to 20%, while two thirds of readers watch only occasionally (67%). Facebook and YouTube are the two social media tools that EurActiv readers want to be integrated with EurActiv, followed by LinkedIn, Twitter and Blogactiv.
 
Since 2007, the percentage of EurActiv.com readers who occasionally read blogs has increased by 8%. The percentage of those readers who frequently read them is also up 7% compared to the 2007 survey. As for the nature of those opportunities, blogs are primarily seen as a chance to engage citizens or read user-generated content (40%), and then as a means of getting better informed (37%).     
 
Christophe Leclercq, founder and publisher of EurActiv.com, said: "Listening to its readers, EurActiv is making even better use of social media and videos starting this year, via our partnerships with PoliTech and EUX.TV.” He continued, “we are glad the survey confirms our EU coverage in 12 languages as the top added value of EurActiv’s multi-country network. Also, EurActiv is viewed by 90% of our readers as an independent and fact-based media".  
 
“EurActiv is happy to have a diverse and influential readership,” said Rick Zedník, CEO of EurActiv.com. “The survey shows that one quarter of EurActiv.com readers work in government and politics, another quarter in business and about 4 in 10 work for multipliers such as media." He also emphasised how highly educated EurActiv readers are, highlighting that 7 out of 10 readers hold a Masters or doctoral degree or equivalent.
 
The survey, conducted for 10 weeks between April and June 2010, attracted responses in 12 languages from 2,187 readers.
 
Media contacts:
Rick Zedník, CEO, Tel. +32(0)2.226.58.12, ceo@euractiv.com
Radu Magdin, Communications Manager: +32(0)2.788.36.88, communication@euractiv.com
Christophe Leclercq, Publisher, +32(0)2.226.58.13, publisher@euractiv.com
 
Note to the editor:
“EurActiv-EUX.TV” is a video joint venture, which recently reported reaching 10 million viewers on YouTube. Fondation EurActiv has integrated in a social media department the activities of PoliTech and Blogactiv.eu.   
www.EurActiv.com is the independent online media network dedicated to EU policy, counting 609,000 monthly unique visitors together with the Web 2.0 platform Blogactiv.eu. Set up in 1999, the network is an important working instrument for actors (institutions, industry federations, NGOs, think tanks, the press and others) involved in defining or influencing EU policies. The EurActiv Network publishes EU policy news and information in 12 languages from offices in the capitals of 12 European countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom  and Turkey. The Network's national policy portals are accessible here www.euractiv.com/en/Fixed/about/crosslingual.htm
 
In order to provide free services and ensure independence, EurActiv's services are financed from four sources: corporate sponsoring, EurActor membership, online advertising and EU projects. EurActiv's CrossLingual Network is supported by the European Commission’s Small Business Act / SME Week campaign and by the Directorates General for Regional Policy and for Enlargement. General sponsors of www.EurActiv.com are: Assembly of European Regions / GE Energy, Enel, ExxonMobil, the Nickel Institute, TUSIAD, United Technologies and VISA Europe. Section sponsors of www.EurActiv.com are: ArcelorMittal, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Dow, Euro-ciett, Gasunie, General Electric, Honeywell, IBM, MSD, Nike, Swiss Mission to the EU, Syngenta, Trans Adriatic Pipeline, Unilever and Veolia. Further supporters include: Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. EurActiv also has 60 “content partners” (NGOs & think tanks) as well as ca. 500 “contributors”, providing their policy positions for free publication, based on EurActiv's editorial discretion. Input welcome: editor@euractiv.com.
 
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