By Ryan Richert, EVP of Global Media
The media landscape continues to undergo dramatic shifts, and as a result, our media relations playbook has changed. Here are six media trends we’re watching in 2026 and some simple, tangible ways to adjust the way we engage with journalists in the new year.
1: Media Relationships Are Back
After years of hybrid work and geographic dispersion in the early 2020s made it difficult for reporters to meet over coffee or a drink, the pendulum is swinging in the other direction. Relationships cemented through in-person interactions matter more than ever in this hyper-competitive environment with journalists swimming in spam emails.
As one NBC Today producer recently told Golin: “Relationships do matter, and when you have those relationships with people, you know what they’re sending you is something that you can trust.”
Best practices: Wait until after the first placement before suggesting a meet-up, choose a location at or near the journalist’s newsroom, and stay useful even when you’re not pitching, connecting journalists with other sources.
2: Use AI to Identify Story Patterns
PR professionals are adept at using AI to identify and research reporters, but we can now leverage AI to dig further into patterns that appear in journalists’ stories and learn more about what elements are most interesting to them.
Best practices: Analyze a reporter’s recent coverage to identify repeated patterns in story structure. Notice whether they typically lead with human examples, powerful statistics, or industry context. Pay attention to how they organize information – chronologically, thematically, or problem-solution format. Focus on understanding the overall story structure and what makes a compelling pitch for that specific journalist.
3: Platforms Take Center Stage
We’ve traditionally built media strategies by identifying our audience’s favorite outlets, then pitching those outlets. But in 2026, we need to flip that approach and start by identifying the platforms where audiences spend time, then target how specific outlets show up on those platforms.
Best practices: Script pitches by platform, not just outlet (e.g., think: “ABC News Instagram” not just “ABC News”). Provide vertical b-roll specifically formatted for social media stories and set up media events as content studios for journalists.
4: Pitch in 360
Following trend #3, successful pitching in 2026 means thinking multi-dimensionally about how a single story can live across multiple formats and platforms simultaneously. Media outlets must customize and repurpose content across broadcast/print, digital, and social. When you can provide a story that works in multiple formats with different elements, you’re solving a real problem for time-strapped journalists.
Best practices: Develop assets in multiple formats from the beginning. Think about how the story could come to life on TikTok vs. a traditional text-based story, or what might be the best attention-grabbing headline for a newsletter mention or interesting video content for an outlet’s LinkedIn channel.
5: Substack’s Saturation Requires Selectivity
Substack subscriptions grew from 3 million in 2024 to 5 million in 2025, and star reporters continue to leave legacy media to launch independent newsletters. Even The Wall Street Journal recently established an outpost on the platform. But as Wired observes, “subscription fatigue is only getting worse.” As more readers flock to Substack, not every author reaches a meaningful audience, so it’s important to be selective.
Best practices: Prioritize quality over quantity. Focus on Substack authors with demonstrated reach in your target audience. Recognize that many Substack authors may push for paid partnerships, so be prepared to engage in that conversation when pitching.
6: Local Media Are Still Relevant (and Thriving Digitally)
I started my career as a local TV news reporter nearly 30 years ago, so I appreciate that local media is still relevant and highly trusted. In fact, as trust in national media craters, Pew Research Center reports that 74% of Americans still have “a lot” or “some” trust in local news. Local media are shedding their newsprint baggage and going all-in on digital, often with impressive results. NiemanLab observes that outlets like PennLive (The Harrisburg Patriot-News) and MLive (a group of mid-sized Michigan newspapers) now rank among America’s most-read news sites, with 14-16 million monthly visits.
Even local TV stations are streaming content 24/7, with one CBS affiliate news director telling me recently: “I can’t create enough content for the advertisers that want to buy streaming spots online.”
Best practices: The days of pitching a broad national story to local media are gone. Every local pitch needs a genuinely local angle. When pitching data, city or state-level data works better than more general regional insights (e.g., New York vs. Chicago insights instead of broader “East Coast” vs. “Midwest” survey results.) There’s still a place for local media tours, satellite media tours and niche/hyperlocal publications if the content is very specific to their readers.
The Bottom Line
While the media industry is undergoing massive change, the keys to success remain consistent: build real relationships, understand how journalists work, meet them where their audiences actually are, and provide genuine value.
The media landscape isn’t dying – it’s evolving. PR professionals who embrace these trends will find more opportunities than ever to tell compelling stories and reach meaningful audiences.