Relevance Rules: Key Insights from Cision’s 2025 State of the Media Report on How to Navigate the Modern Media Ecosystem

Cision recently released its 2025 State of the Media report, and the message from more than 3,000 journalists worldwide couldn’t be clearer: what worked before won’t cut it now in the modern media ecosystem. 

Here are a few insights that stood out to me—and why they matter for business leaders and PR professionals. 

📌 Relevance is the new currency.
An overwhelming 86% of journalists say the top reason they ignore pitches is that they’re not relevant to their audience or beat. This isn’t just a PR problem—it’s a business communication problem. If we’re not connecting the dots between what we’re saying and what the media (and their audiences) care about, we’re wasting the journalist’s time and eroding our credibility. 

📌 Press releases still matter—but only if they’re meaningful.
Despite all the talk about content saturation, 72% of journalists still want press releases. But they want them to offer something new: original research, compelling data, expert access, or exclusive angles. In other words, don’t just announce—add value. 

📌 AI is in the room—but it hasn’t earned full trust.
More than half of journalists (53%) are using generative AI—yet 72% cite factual inaccuracy as their biggest concern when receiving AI-generated pitches. As more comms teams turn to AI for efficiency, the takeaway is clear: use AI as a tool, not a shortcut. Credibility still depends on human oversight, relevance, and accuracy. 

📌 Social media is powerful—but it’s fragmented.
Almost all (96%) journalists use social platforms to share stories, research ideas, or engage with sources. LinkedIn is the global leader, but newer platforms like Bluesky and region-specific tools (like WeChat or WhatsApp) are gaining ground. For brands, that means being intentional and adaptive, and showing up where the conversations are already happening. 

📈 So what does this mean for businesses?
If you’re looking to drive visibility, reputation, or thought leadership, it’s not about pitching louder—it’s about pitching smarter. Be intentional. Be timely. Be relevant.

As the media landscape continues to shift at a moment’s notice, it’s more important than ever to be useful partners to journalists and that starts with the number one principle of media relations: know your media target’s coverage!  

Thoughts? Let’s connect: