3 Important Takeaways from the 2025 State of the Media Report
For 16 years, Cision has conducted an annual survey of journalists and published those results in the seminal State of the Media Report. Like journalism itself, the report has evolved over the years to reflect the changes in the media landscape. While some themes remain unchanged over the years, others, like AI, were nary a thought in anyone’s mind when we published the first report in 2009.
Whether you have already read this year’s report and want to contextualise the key findings or have yet to read it and want a sneak preview, we’re breaking down a few of the main lessons to take away.
Journalists Face Increasing Limitations in Time and Resources
It’s no revelation that journalists’ jobs have become more difficult every year with the consolidation and closing of media outlets, the never-ending competition for attention and increasing distrust of mainstream media. Local newspapers, in particular, have taken a big hit. The result is that fewer stories are being told by credible outlets.
This presents a distinct challenge for PR pros who seek to have their story covered by the media. In fact, nearly half of the journalists surveyed said that they received story pitches that they’d like to cover but weren’t able to for a variety of reasons.
Source: 2025 Cision State of the Media Report
So, what’s a comms professional to do?
As the media environment continues to evolve, PR and comms practitioners need to also evolve their strategies. While earned media remains the primary goal of any comms campaign, it should not be the sole tactic upon which any strategy relies.
In order to have more control over the dissemination of their message, we recommend that comms pros deploy a Multichannel AmplificationTM comms strategy to broaden the reach of their story and have a measurable way to evaluate its impact. We’ve seen many brands, big and small, benefit from moving beyond relying solely on earned media to share their message. As traditional media outlets continue to shrink, brands that think outside the earned media box are the ones that will find the most success.
Journalists are Open to AI-Generated Content from Comms Pros with Caveats
To AI or not to AI? That is the question facing many PR pros in 2025. For anyone hesitant to use the technology to generate press releases or pitches, you’re in luck. 71% of journalists say they’re open to the practice from PR pros.
Source: 2025 Cision State of the Media Report
In a time when journalism is facing a credibility crisis (respondents ranked this as their second biggest challenge), many journalists are wary of anything that may further erode trust with their audience. 72% expressed concern that AI-generated content may contain factually inaccurate information. And they are justified in this concern, as it has been proven that AI hallucinations are becoming increasingly more prevalent. So, if your pitch or press release sounds like it was produced by AI, journalists are more likely to view it askance and reject it.
While generative AI can help with creativity, it’s important to make the necessary edits to any AI-generated content so that it accurately reflects the message you want to send and the story you want to tell. Rather than worrying about whether your content has too many em dashes, focus on the clarity and readability of your copy. Some questions to ask as you edit AI-generated copy are: Would someone who’s not in my industry understand this? Does the phrasing and word choice reflect how our brand speaks about this topic? Are there any superfluous words that can be edited out to streamline this message?
Because it is more challenging than ever to get media coverage of your brand’s news, there is little margin for error when pitching your story. Thoroughly vetting and editing your AI-generated content can increase the likelihood of getting a response from journalists—and hopefully obtain the highly coveted media coverage you’re seeking.
The Press Release Remains a Vital Tool for Generating Media Coverage
Year after year, the State of the Media Report proves that reports of the death of the press release have been greatly exaggerated. Not only is the press release still relevant, but it remains the most preferred form of content, with seven out of ten journalists wanting to receive one from PR reps.
Source: 2025 Cision State of the Media Report
But if you think words alone will do the trick, think again. If you want your story to pop—and increase your chances of getting it covered—including multimedia is a must. In particular, a majority of journalists reported using one or more images provided by PR pros in their news stories.
Source: 2025 Cision State of the Media Report
Multimedia is not only essential to attracting media coverage, but it’s also proven to increase engagement with press releases and improve recall of your message. The data is consistently clear that including multimedia in a release makes it more compelling to your readers.
Another way to attract journalistic attention for your brand is to distribute news releases promoting research findings your organisation has uncovered. 55% of journalists reported using this type of content from comms partners in their work. While some brands don’t consider this content to be newsworthy, we have found that these releases become some of our most popular.
Always Put the “R” in “PR”
Despite all the changes that the media and PR and communications have undergone over the last 16 years, what has stayed consistent is the need to cultivate and nurture the “relations” part of “public relations.” An understanding of a journalist’s beat, audience and recent work goes a long way in building and maintaining a strong working relationship. Journalists are eager to partner with comms professionals to cover their brand’s news if the story is compelling and relevant to their audience, and the requested background is provided.
Using the right tools to streamline your content creation, distribute and amplify your message can help get your message seen by those who matter most. Send your next press release with PR Newswire for access to the world’s largest news distribution network.
Looking for more insights on how to best work with journalists? Check out the full 2025 State of the Media Report to learn how PR and comms can successfully navigate the current media landscape.
About the Author
Erin Payton is the Integrated Marketing Manager for PR Newswire. In her role, she develops multichannel marketing campaigns, drives demand generation, fosters brand awareness and creates thought leadership. Away from the keyboard, she is an unabashedly enthusiastic cat mom to Mia.