Media relations has always been one of the most misunderstood parts of communications. For many companies, it still looks like a simple exercise: prepare an announcement, send it to a long media list and wait for coverage. That view is outdated. It also underestimates both journalism and PR.
Today’s newsrooms operate under pressure. Journalists are expected to cover complex stories quickly, verify information carefully, compete for audience attention and navigate a constant flow of content from brands, social platforms, creators and AI tools. Their work has become faster, noisier and more exposed to misinformation.
In this environment, good PR is valuable. It can help journalists identify useful story ideas, access credible information, speak to the right experts and understand why a development matters now.
Cision’s 2026 State of the Media Report confirms this. Based on a survey of 1,899 journalists across North America, EMEA and APAC, the report found that 66% of journalists rely on PR-provided content, including press releases, pitches and media kits, for story ideas. Cision also notes that PR-provided content has become the leading source of story leads for journalists.
That should be encouraging for the communications industry. It should also make brands more disciplined, because being a source is useful only when you bring value.
The problem is not media relations. The problem is weak media relations.
The data tells a clear story. Journalists use PR material, but they reject much of what reaches them.
According to Cision, 72% of journalists say fewer than a quarter of the pitches they receive are relevant. The same report highlights relevance as the biggest gap between what journalists need and what they often receive from PR professionals.
This is the real issue. Media relations is not losing value. Poor media relations is losing patience.
A journalist who receives dozens of pitches has little time to decode a weak story. If the subject line is vague, the angle is unclear, the timing is off, or the announcement offers little value to the outlet’s audience, the pitch will probably fail.
This is where many companies make the wrong assumption. They think the strength of PR lies in the size of the media list. In reality, the strength lies in the judgment behind the outreach.
Is there a real story?
A long distribution list can create activity. It cannot create relevance.
Relevance is now a reputation signal
A weak pitch does more than miss an opportunity. It sends a message. It tells the journalist that the company or agency has not understood the outlet, the section, the audience or the news agenda. It suggests that the brand wants visibility without doing the editorial work required to earn attention.
In smaller markets, such as Cyprus, this matters even more.
Media relationships are built over time. Journalists remember who sends accurate material, who responds quickly, who understands their beat and who respects the difference between a corporate update and a real story. They also remember who wastes their time.
This means every press release, interview proposal, media briefing or comment request carries reputational weight. Good PR builds trust before a story is published. Weak PR damages confidence before a journalist reaches the second paragraph.
For companies, this is a serious business point. Media coverage is not only about presence. It shapes how the market understands your role, your credibility and your relevance.
Newsrooms need accuracy, not noise
Cision’s report also shows why the standard is rising. Accuracy, fact-checking and combating misinformation emerged as the number one challenge for journalists in 2026. At the same time, 49% cited shrinking budgets, staff cuts and increased workloads as major obstacles.
This creates a specific opportunity for professional PR.
Journalists need information they can trust. They need clear facts, verified data, expert access, useful context and quick responses. They need material that helps them work faster without compromising accuracy.
That is where PR earns its place.
A strong communications team does not simply push a company’s message. It checks whether the message is clear, whether the information is accurate, whether the timing is right and whether the story has value outside the company’s own priorities.
This is especially important in sectors where reputation depends on trust: banking, technology, healthcare, education, real estate, shipping, energy and professional services. In these fields, a weak or exaggerated announcement can create confusion. A well-prepared story can build authority.
AI makes human judgement more important
Cision’s findings also point to another issue. AI is now part of the media environment, but journalists remain cautious about how it is used in PR outreach. According to Cision, 53% of journalists oppose AI-generated pitches because of concerns around accuracy and personalisation.
This is a useful warning.
AI can help communications teams work faster. It can support research, drafting, summarising and planning. But it cannot replace editorial judgement, market understanding or genuine media relationships.
A pitch that feels automated, generic or poorly targeted will not become stronger because it was produced faster. In fact, speed can make the problem worse. It can increase the volume of weak outreach and make journalists even less receptive to brand communication.
The future of media relations will not belong to the teams that send the most. It will belong to the teams that understand the most.
What better PR looks like
Better PR begins before the press release is written. It starts with the discipline to ask whether the announcement has real public value. Some company updates deserve media outreach. Others work better as owned content, stakeholder communication, internal communication, a LinkedIn post, a newsletter, a native article or a direct client update.
The right format matters as much as the message. When media outreach is the right route, better PR gives journalists what they actually need: a clear angle, accurate facts, credible data, strong quotes, local context, relevant visuals, access to the right spokesperson and a clear reason why the story matters now.
It also respects the journalist’s time. That means targeted outreach, short, useful pitches, clean supporting material, and fast follow-up when more information is needed.
Strong media relations are not about making a company louder. It is about making the story clearer, stronger and better suited to the media environment.
What companies should stop asking for
Companies often ask: “Can we get this in the media?”
A better question is: “What makes this worth covering?”
That shift changes the quality of the work.
Brands should stop treating every announcement as news. They should stop asking for coverage everywhere. They should stop expecting guaranteed earned media. They should stop measuring effort by the number of journalists contacted.
Instead, they should focus on the quality of the story, the relevance of the outlet, the clarity of the message and the credibility of the information.
This does not make media relations less ambitious. It makes it more effective.
A well-placed story in the right outlet, with the right framing, can do far more for reputation than broad coverage with little substance. For businesses, this distinction matters because reputation is built through consistency, not bursts of visibility.
The future of media relations belongs to useful brands
Cision’s 2026 data sends a clear message. Journalists still need PR. They need PR that respects their time, understands their audience and improves the quality of the information they receive.
For brands, the opportunity is clear.
The companies that will stand out are those with substance. They will have informed spokespeople, useful data, clear positions and communications teams that understand both business priorities and editorial value.
This is where PR becomes strategic.
It connects what a company wants to say with what the market needs to understand. It turns corporate information into public relevance. It protects credibility by making sure stories are accurate, timely and properly framed. It builds trust with journalists before a crisis, a major announcement or a reputational challenge appears.
Media relations still works. But it works when it is earned through relevance, clarity and judgement.
For any company seeking stronger visibility, the real question is not how many people received the press release. The real question is whether the story deserved their attention in the first place.
At Purpose Communications, we help brands shape stories that are relevant, credible and built for the media environment they operate in. If your company wants to strengthen its media presence, sharpen its message or build a stronger communications strategy, let’s talk.
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