Hardly a day goes by that we don’t read about the marvels of blogs, Facebook pages and other social media sites. Yet a new study funded by the Pew Project for Excellence in Media suggests that these forms of information delivery pale in comparison to Legacy media both in the volume of information and in providing forums for public comment.

Researchers from Michigan State University, the University of Missouri and the University of North Carolina studied more than 350 journalism Web sites in 46 markets – 145 “citizen” news sites and 218 “legacy” sites operated by traditional media organizations. Here are some of the findings:

· Citizen sites, especially blogs, were less likely to allow readers to post comment, or even email their sites than legacy sites.

· Legacy media offered more opportunities to allow readers to download information

· Legacy media also were more transparent on their policies for use and comment.

· Citizen sites excelled in providing links to documentation for stories.

Marketers should strive to embrace the best of both worlds in their social media strategies. Not only will that assure a robust social media campaign, but a campaign that can withstand scrutiny.