Cision’s 2025 State of the Media Report Reveals a Tipping Point for Trust, Technology, and PR-Journalist Partnerships

16^th Annual Report Tracks Global Media Trends Across AI, Social Media, Pitching Best Practices, and the Evolving Role of PR

Cision, the global leader in consumer and media intelligence, released its 16^th annual State of the Media Report, an industry-defining study of more than 3,000 journalists across 19 global markets. This year’s findings uncover the pressures and possibilities shaping modern journalism—from shifting audience behavior and AI disruption to the continued demand for relevance, accuracy, and real human connection in PR outreach.

“Our report gives PR professionals the roadmap to be trusted, valuable collaborators,” said Jim Daxner, Chief Product Officer and Head of Strategy at Cision.

For over a decade and a half, Cision’s State of the Media Report has offered unparalleled insight into the evolving dynamics between journalists and the PR professionals who partner with them. The 2025 report dives deeper than ever before, revealing regional differences across North America, EMEA, and APAC, and surfacing global themes that matter most in media .

“This year’s findings reinforce just how important it is for PR teams to focus on precision, empathy, and adaptability,” said Jim Daxner, Chief Product Officer and Head of Strategy at Cision. “The media landscape is evolving rapidly—AI is transforming how content is created, audience behavior is more fragmented than ever, and journalists are navigating immense pressures. Our report gives PR professionals the roadmap to be trusted, valuable collaborators in that environment.”

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Key Insights from the 2025 Report:

• Relevance is Everything: 86% of journalists say they’ll immediately reject a pitch that isn’t aligned with their beat or audience—underscoring the need for PR teams to do their research and tailor every outreach.
• Press Releases Still Reign: Despite an evolving media landscape, 72% of journalists still cite press releases as the most useful resource PR teams can offer. When paired with multimedia, impact increases significantly.
• AI Adoption and Caution: Over half of journalists globally now use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, yet 72% worry about factual errors in AI-generated PR content. Transparency, accuracy, and human oversight remain essential.
• Relationship-First PR: The majority of journalists (85%) say the best way to build a relationship is simple: introduce yourself via email—even without a story to pitch. Relationships still matter most in media relations.
• Fragmented Social Media Use: LinkedIn remains the most-used platform globally, while region-specific platforms like WeChat (China), WhatsApp (EMEA), and BlueSky (North America) show the shifting nature of media engagement.

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A Global Perspective That Drives Smarter PR

This year’s survey spans insights from 19 countries, reflecting a global industry in transition. From APAC’s embrace of AI to North America’s continued focus on media trust and credibility, the 2025 report helps PR professionals adapt their strategies to regional realities while aligning with universal best practices.

The report also includes tactical guidance on pitching, multimedia preferences, AI use in content creation, and how to build long-term media relationships in a digitally fractured world.

Read the full 2025 State of the Media Report.

Cision will also host a live webinar featuring media experts and journalists to explore the data in more depth. Registration details will be announced soon.