PR used to be about pitching, now it’s about paying attention.
Journalists today are under more pressure than ever with smaller teams, faster turnarounds, multiple platforms and because of our desire for immediacy, much less time to dig, chase or decode poorly thought-through (or worse still soulless AI generated) press releases.
And yet, many businesses are still approaching PR in exactly the same way they did ten years ago with generic pitches, vague “thought leadership” and broadcast emails that show no understanding of what journalists are actually working on.
What journalists really need now is both simpler but also harder than ever before for them to achieve.
They need:
- Relevant voices, not self-promotion
- Fast, informed responses, not over-polished soundbites
- Credible spokespeople who understand their sector
- Context, not content for content’s sake
One of the biggest shifts in modern PR is the rise of journalist request portals. These are live calls for expertise, often on tight deadlines and when handled properly, they change the role of PR entirely and that’s where a PR Agency can give clients the edge.
Instead of asking “How do we get coverage?”, the better question becomes “How can we be genuinely useful?”
This requires a whole different mindset and as PR professionals we need to be:
- Listening constantly
- Matching the right voices to the right requests
- Advising clients when not to comment – probably the trickiest in this list
- Acting as a bridge, not a megaphone
This is why PR has to change. The businesses that cut through now aren’t the loudest, they’re the ones who show up consistently, helpfully and with credibility.
That’s how trust is built and trust is still the currency that matters most.