Journalism and public relations go hand in hand. To tell the most impactful stories, journalists speak to numerous sources and need to identify relevant data. PR professionals help with that, connecting reporters to sources to inform their reporting and much more.
Cision recently released its 2024 State of the Media Report, which details findings from over 3,000 journalists and identifies how to build and maintain strong, effective media relationships with PR professionals within the greater media landscape. Here are some of the media trends:
The Secret Is Relevancy
Journalists receive a large volume of PR pitches a day, which is why it’s necessary to pitch thoughtfully to achieve the best results. According to Cision’s findings, “one in two journalists is inundated with more than 50 pitches per week; yet only a fraction of these have any relevance to the topics they cover.” Spamming reporters with irrelevant pitches was cited as the top reason journalists put PR professionals on their “don’t call” list. PR professionals must pitch relevant stories to journalists for them to land, ensuring they are in the reporter’s subject area, newsworthy, and relevant to the region they cover. When journalists described their “perfect” PR pitch, relevance was the most cited factor. Other responses emphasized being concise, personalizing messages, and including sourced information. They also find press releases with quotes more useful for generating ideas over direct pitches.
Data Is Essential
Journalists are relying on data more for editorial strategies. The study looked at how media organizations identify success and found that the top three metrics were readership numbers, engagement, and having a direct link to revenue. PR professionals need to monitor the media and pitch stories that will resonate with a journalist’s audience, resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship: a great story that gets a lot of engagement for the media outlet because it’s relevant, and a happy client who reaches the right people to raise awareness for a cause.
International PR Needs Global Considerations
Journalists across the globe perceive things differently depending on where they are. They differ in terms of the challenges they face, how they use PR content, and the way they work. With the nuances in global media, it’s necessary for PR professionals to consider the different dynamics and media trends with international clients and with local journalists in each region. For example, Cision’s survey found that competition with social media influencers for the audience’s attention was a challenge more for journalists in Asia-Pacific (APAC), over those in North America and in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Reduced Resources Are a Challenge
Newsrooms are shrinking. On the individual level, “media downsizing and reduced resources” was the top response from journalists when asked about their biggest challenge in the last year. With reporters spread thin, PR pitches need to be accurate and factual because journalists may not have the time or resources for research. The report found that this challenge was greatest in North America, followed closely by EMEA and with APAC significantly lower. Maintaining credibility as a trusted news source remained the top choice, and adapting to changing audience behaviors came in second.
The media landscape is changing fast. To drive results, PR professionals must understand the media trends and nuances of the ever-changing industry. While journalism will continue to adapt, one thing has remained true throughout the 15 years of Cision’s report: the relationship between PR and media professionals remains a valuable one that needs to be nurtured.
