Online News Association Muck Rack

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 5:29 AM

25 years of convening and supporting changemakers in journalism The annual conference is moving to the spring! Join leaders and changemakers in journalism at ONA26, March 30–April 1, in Chicago. ONA is advancing collaboration around AI, climate and resilience in journalism. From trainings to networking, ONA offers opportunities to learn and connect all year. Special thanks to our ONA sponsors.

.ona-ad { width: 728px; height: 90px; background: #e3e3e3; margin: 0 auto; } @media ( max-width: 900px ) { .ona-ad { width: 320px; height: 50px; } } 2020 was one of the most challenging years for those in communication—journalists and PR pros especially. Aside from trying to navigate their own understanding of COVID-19, social justice issues and the presidential election, media was tasked with delivering breaking information to a harried public. Seeking to make sense of a chaotic year, Muck Rack, the PR management (PRM) platform, released its fifth annual State of Journalism study. The survey of 2,500 writers sheds light on how they choose stories to write, use social media and work with communicators. Muck Rack fielded the survey from Jan.

11 through Feb. 8, 2021. Despite 2020's many changes, the study emphasizes that journalists continue to appreciate brief, relevant pitches. This is especially so since many reporters face increased workloads due to the pandemic's economic downturn and shrinking newsrooms. Understanding journalists' pace is one way PR pros can approach relationships with media members. The average journalist tends to work three or more beats and writes five or fewer stories per week, according to the study.

Just 25 percent of those stories result from pitches. You could say journalists are not only spending a lot of time writing, but as much time digging and acquiring necessary information. Another reason brevity is favored: 23 percent of journalists say they have a larger workload due to layoffs and furloughs. Not surprise that a whopping 91 percent of writers prefer pitches of fewer than 200 words. They also appreciate a minimum of follow-ups in their inbox. Nearly the same amount (90 percent), though, say it’s OK to send at least one follow-up email.

Muck Rack Survey: Two Out of Three Journalists Have Been Impacted by Economic Uncertainty Disinformation and lack of trust are top concerns for journalists in 2023 MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One in five journalists have switched jobs or made a career change due to the economy, according to new survey results from Muck Rack, the public relations management (PRM) platform that helps organizations... Muck Rack’s sixth annual State of Journalism report, which surveyed more than 2,200 journalists to understand the current state of journalism and the future of the industry, also found layoffs and furloughs have increased... Half of journalists cited disinformation and lack of funding as top concerns, followed by trust in journalism (40%) and lack of time to cover stories thoughtfully (33%). While two out of three journalists say their work has been impacted by economic uncertainty and 51% make $70,000 or less a year, more than half are optimistic about the profession.

CONTACT:John Shertzer, SPJ Executive Director, 317-920-4781, [email protected]Linda Zebian, Muck Rack Director of Communications, [email protected]Jennifer Royer, SPJ Director of Communications and Marketing, 317-361-4134, [email protected] INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists has partnered with Muck Rack and nine other journalism organizations to present “The State of Journalism 2022: Social media habits, reporting strategies, PR pitching preferences and more.” Journalists are busier than ever, covering four beats compared to three beats just a year ago on average. They’re producing content in more formats, too, according to the results of Muck Rack’s 2022 State of Journalism survey released today. Just under three-quarters (74%) of journalists say they produce content in addition to online and print, such as newsletters (17%) and podcasts (15%). Half of journalists publish five or more stories per week, with a third publishing eight or more a week.

Audience trust, a significant concern for American news media , appears to be improving for nearly one-third (32%) of journalists who claim trust in their coverage has increased in the past year. Nearly half (47%) said trust has remained the same and 22 percent said it’s decreased.

Online News Association Muck Rack

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