University of Kwazulu-Natal

The State Of Journalism In 2025 Insights To Optimize Your Media Relati

Bonisiwe Shabane
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the state of journalism in 2025 insights to optimize your media relati

The ever-changing media environment magnifies the expectations, pressures and preferences of journalists. Muck Rack surveyed over 1,500 journalists to better understand what shapes their work today, and how PR professionals can more effectively collaborate with them for everyone's benefit. The findings serve as both a reality check and guide for better relationships and outcomes in media relations. I presented these findings in Vancouver at the June 2025 International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) conference. And with the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and the pressures for PR teams to power the news and offer credible sources, these tips are not just important, but timely. More than a third (36%) of journalists cite disinformation as the most pressing issue they face, with politicization and lack of funding close behind.

Reporters are fatigued by hype and skepticism, making credibility paramount. They want pitches grounded in reality—anchored by verified sources, third-party data, and credible SMEs (subject matter experts). PR takeaway: Your CEO may not be your most credible or interesting source. Do some internal research to see who is working directly with a product, service or campaign, and see if they could be a credible expert. While 67% of media say their work feels meaningful, nearly half also describe it as exhausting. Precarity, isolation, and lack of time compound these challenges.

Only 20% of journalists say they consistently have enough time to do their job to standard. PR takeaway: Your pitch is one of many. Make it count. Be clear, concise, and respectful of their time. Focus on real news, brevity and pre-vetted experts. Journalists remain cautiously optimistic about their careers, but they increasingly value long-term, professional relationships with PR counterparts.

With 62% of journalists taking on more responsibilities beyond their core roles, they appreciate PR support that helps them scale, providing ready-to-use visuals, quotes and data points in advance. PR takeaway: Reach out to journalist contacts when you don’t need anything from them. For example, you could tell a reporter you liked their latest piece, or comment on a social media post when you have something valuable to add. When I previously explored how luxury brands were rethinking their relationship with the press, I referenced what New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman had dubbed the “Beyoncé Strategy” — where brands bypass traditional media to... At the time, this seemed like a strategic shift driven by a desire for speed, control, and narrative ownership. But new data from Muck Rack’s 2025 State of Journalism report suggests this pivot reflects a deeper transformation reshaping every aspect of modern media relations strategy.

With insights from more than 1,500 journalists worldwide, the report highlights sweeping changes reshaping how luxury brands should approach media outreach. These shifts explain what today’s sophisticated marketers must understand to succeed in this evolving landscape; one where the consumer’s passionate pursuit of luxury is highly supported by genuine press relationships. Just days before the survey’s release, a journalist posted on LinkedIn a scathing email he received after interviewing Lyft’s CEO. “Learn a thing or two about a thing 2,” the sender wrote, demanding “a deep dive on my LinkedIn profile” while dismissing the journalist’s reporting as “drivel.” He also CC’d the editor-in-chief, accusing the... The sender thought positioning himself as more knowledgeable while attacking the journalist’s competence, invoking big names (Gates and Bezos got name-dropped), and delivering sweeping indictments about entire industries would earn him kudos – literally,... Every journalist has a story of some crackpot who didn’t like their article.

I was digitally hounded by one who took personal issues with Hermès and demanded I take down my coverage of the brand, or at the very least, include his outlandish, unsubstantiated claims. When I didn’t, he bought Meta ads to continue harassing me, even reaching out to my clients to discredit me. Nothing came of his actions, of course, except increased traffic to my article. It turns out Hermès had banned him from their stores. He then launched an ecommerce store selling sandals made with Hermès scarves, in what a legal expert might call copyright infringement. uckRack’s new State of Journalism report captures the evolving role of journalists, and with these changes, showcases that the ways brands think about the role of media relations in the marketing mix must adapt.

The headwinds and industry adaptations impacting reporters across the nation are also impacting the brands that have long relied on the objectivity and validity provided by editorial coverage. In short, the world of media relations is changing, and we’re detailing what that means for your marketing strategy. First, we must reiterate that media relations is still a critical tactic in PR and external communications. It builds brand awareness, positions your company as a thought leader, and drives consumer trust. Not only that, but AI-powered search engines are increasingly relying on brand mentions achieved through media relations for their generated search output. However, to realize these benefits, CMOs are now finding that they need to diversify their marketing strategies by expanding past media relations tactics in order to achieve company goals.

Let’s explore the stand-out findings of MuckRack’s State of Journalism 2025 report to shed light on the evolving media landscape: All in all, the world of journalism and its impact on communications is changing. It’s being faced with new challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities that demand not only adaptation, but innovation. While extremely impactful in the practice of public relations, the role of media relations has evolved. At Full Tilt, we’ve found that omnichannel messaging is not only a strategic opportunity, but now a competitive necessity. Instead of thinking in channel silos, successful communicators take a holistic approach to external communications.

So, let’s chat about your omnichannel strategy today. The 2025 State of the Media Report by Cision provides insights into the evolving landscape of journalism, highlighting key challenges, trends, and expectations from PR professionals. Based on a survey of 3,016 journalists across 19 global markets, the report covers how journalists interact with PR, use social media, and navigate industry changes like AI and audience behavior shifts. Top reasons PR pros get ignored or blocked: Relevance is king: Journalists overwhelmingly value pitches that align with their audience and niche.AI is a double-edged sword: While some journalists embrace AI for research and brainstorming, many see it as a threat. Multimedia is essential: The inclusion of high-quality images, videos, and infographics can improve the chances of coverage.

For example, Marshall Communications, a boutique Maine based PR agency founded in 1991, leverages decades of relationships with media outlets to help clients punch above their weight in national coverage. Social media is a dominant force: Journalists are increasingly engaging with Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for content distribution and audience interaction.PR professionals must be strategic: Understanding journalists' needs, avoiding spammy pitches, and providing exclusive,... The media landscape is shifting fast, and the newly released State of Journalism 2025 report from Muck Rack confirms what we at Proof are already seeing: relevance, personalization, and trust are everything. Based on insights from nearly 2,000 journalists across the globe, here are some key takeaways and why they matter for our clients and the future of earned media. More than 75% of journalists now use AI tools like ChatGPT in their workflow, yet most newsrooms don’t have a formal AI policy in place. For PR pros, that means being transparent about AI use in content creation and pitches is essential.

It also means fact-checking, sourcing, and accuracy matter more than ever. An overwhelming 86% of journalists say they’ll ignore pitches that aren’t relevant to their beat. At Proof, we’ve always believed in relationship-driven media outreach. This data proves the power of personalization. Generic blasts? They’re dead.

Strategic targeting? That’s how stories get told. LinkedIn was ranked the most trusted social platform by journalists this year, beating out X (FKA Twitter). Our takeaway: PR pros should double down on using LinkedIn as both a pitching tool and a visibility platform. Journalists are there, and they’re watching. More than one-third of journalists now self-publish outside traditional newsrooms.

As the industry decentralizes, PR strategies need to evolve too. Influential voices may not come from legacy outlets; they may come from substacks, podcasts, and TikTok. Muck Rack’s 2025 State of Journalism report captures how reporters are adapting to rapid shifts, from the rise of AI and platform changes to growing workloads and independent publishing. This year, we redesigned the survey to go deeper on the issues shaping journalism today. Journalists weighed in on how their work is changing, what influences their coverage and what PR pros must understand to earn it. When asked what issues they think most threaten the future of journalism, the survey showed: More than one-third of journalists identify mis- and disinformation as the the most serious threat to journalism’s future, surpassing...

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here In the race to build sustainable news businesses, the most successful publishers aren’t chasing clicks—they’re building relationships. That’s the key insight from Daniel Williams, founder and CEO of BlueLena, who shared new findings from more than 220 independent news sites and 6 million reader interactions. From reader motivations to revenue strategies, Williams pulled back the curtain on what’s actually working in local media heading into 2026. “We’re not guessing anymore,” he said. “We’ve got the data, and it’s changing the game.”

The media space is evolving – and it’s happening fast. The future of journalism is a combination of adaptive technology, sensitive reporting, and sustainable business models. Gone are the days when people waited for prime-time news updates; This is the era of Instagram lives, watching the news from across the world while doom-scrolling on your mobile device. From the journalist’s phone to yours, News is now mobile-first, engaging, and easily accessible. With AI entering the scene, processing and delivering news is quicker than ever. Beyond the (very fair) concerns raised by experts around safety, privacy, and authenticity, AI is making room to speed up tasks like reading and summarizing reports.

The industry has already begun using AI-driven tools and is expected to expand and standardize its usage addressing the ethical and moral questions. In 2025, we are also looking at diversifying news content and reaching out to the audience on different platforms – using newsletters, audio and video podcasts, social media posts, and WhatsApp and Instagram Broadcast... Ignite Your Ambitions- Seize the Opportunity for a Free Career Counseling Session. <img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-260543 size-full lazyload lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" data-src="https://allianceconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-plann-2999237-4549418-1.jpg" alt="The Rise of the Social Media Journalist in Travel PR " width="1920" height="1280" /><noscript><img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-260543 size-full lazyload lazyload" src="https://allianceconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-plann-2999237-4549418-1.jpg" alt="The Rise of the... In a world where a TikTok clip can break the news and a Threads post can start a media frenzy, journalism has fully entered the era of social media. Today’s most impactful storytellers aren’t always anchored to traditional newsrooms.

They’re navigating newsletters, livestreams, Reels, and real-time reporting on platforms you once used just to share vacation photos. For travel and hospitality brands, this shift is a strategic wake-up call. According to the 2025 Cision State of the Media Report, journalists are facing unprecedented disruption. Among more than 3,000 global respondents, the top concern was clear: Adapting to changing audience behaviors around media consumption” (42%). In other words, the old model of broadcasting news to a captive audience is gone. Today’s consumers are fragmented, distracted, and scrolling on multiple platforms simultaneously.

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