Communications professionals are very aware that their industry has undergone some seismic shifts, perhaps not always for the better. While many have experienced heightened pressure from clients to demonstrate measurable results for PR efforts, conversations in the PR reveal that it’s become increasingly hard to get those results in the first place.
Here’s what you need to know about the top trends that have driven the changes in comms and how to respond.
Newsrooms are Shrinking
The first trend is one that has made it increasingly challenging for PR pros to get journalists interested in pitches: newsrooms are significantly smaller than they were just a few years ago. In early 2023, experts and journalists predicted that layoffs and shrinking readership were going to hit the industry hard in 2024. Those experts were right. In January, The Los Angeles Times reduced its newsroom staff by a fifth in a single week. TIME and Business Insider similarly reported cuts, as did many other publications.
The journalists that remain increasingly have to show their value in the form of pieces that drive immediate clicks rather than more in-depth, timeless pieces. In all, publications focus more on articles that leverage current events and provide content that readers will find immediately relevant. PR professionals must now tailor their pitches to align with the pressing need for timely, newsworthy stories, often at the expense of evergreen thought leadership pieces.
Less is More
PR pros are also being asked to supply shorter content or have their clients contribute quotes for more compact articles. Years ago, published articles sometimes reached 1,500 to 1,700 words. Over time the typical word count dropped to 1,200, then 1,000, and nowadays, you can regularly find articles in high-tier publications that are just 800 words.
The main reason for this is that attention spans are reportedly less than half as long as they were 10 years ago. As a result, journalists and PR pros are under pressure to deliver quick-read information. Adjust the article and interview topics you propose to journalists accordingly: be concise and direct and focus on topics that require relatively few words.
The Double-edged AI Sword
The third and final trend is perhaps the most obvious: PR pros are increasingly using AI. In fact, over half of communicators use AI regularly in their work. Unfortunately, the resulting influx of AI-generated pitches has exacerbated the existing problem of email spam, making it harder for journalists to sift through the noise and identify valuable stories.
This indiscriminate use of AI for mass communication simultaneously dilutes the quality of pitches and strains the relationship between PR professionals and the journalists, who now face an overwhelming amount of low-quality outreach.
Fortunately, as generic pitches abound, the human element becomes a competitive differentiator. PR pros can take extra care with pitch writing and targeting to ensure that pitches are well-written and correctly address the intended audience.
Rather than threatening the future of the public relations industry, the three trends mentioned will actually provide greater opportunities for communicators who can adapt. Embracing the changes by providing timely, concise, authentic, and human-led communications services for clients can lead to greater successes and help us demonstrate the ongoing necessity of public relations.
Gabriel de la Rosa, is Principal at Intelligent Relations.