Photo: John Guilfoil Public Relations
GROVELAND, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A local public relations firm says a survey it conducted shows 'X' is losing its effectiveness at getting messages out to the public.
John Guilfoil is a public relations expert who has worked with police, fire, and government agencies in Massachusetts and across the country for years.
He said the survey questioned 164 media and government officials, including 17 news outlets and representatives from 147 police, fire, and municipal government departments across the country.
He said the survey results showed these public agencies and users of 'X' were having a harder time getting their messages across to the public. "They are not getting the feedback, the dialogue, the interaction, the engagement, that they were getting 3,4,5 years ago," he said.
Guilfoil said another reason respondents gave for relying less on 'X' was cost.
Some of X's tools and features that used to be free now have to be paid for. "If you're a rural fire department, a rural volunteer fire department, or a small public school laying off teachers, you're not going to write a check for even a hundred dollars a year to 'Twitter' ('X')," he said.
Guilfoil added that while he is not recommending his clients drop 'X,' he is encouraging them to broaden their use of social media to include platforms such as 'Bluesky,' 'Instagram,' and 'Facebook.' "I'm not happy to report that the data suggests 'Twitter' ('X') is waning in its effectiveness. That creates more work. What I would say is ... diversify."
WBZ News Radio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.