A few weeks ago, a journalist shared an eye-rolling email on LinkedIn that perfectly illustrated everything wrong with modern media outreach—and everything brands need to understand about working with press in 2025.

The sender, in response to the journalist’s interview of Lyft’s CEO, fired off a scathing critique demanding the journalist “learn a thing or two,” dismissing the reporting as “drivel,” and CC’ing the editor-in-chief with accusations about “weak leaders.” The kicker? He genuinely expected kudos for this approach.

My Forbes exploration of Muck Rack’s 2025 State of Journalism report examines how media relations has fundamentally transformed and why traditional PR strategies are becoming not ineffective.

Research Behind the Reality

Muck Rack surveyed over 1,500 journalists worldwide, revealing an industry under immense pressure. One-third cite misinformation as their biggest threat, while 47% describe their work as exhausting and 33% call it precarious.  62% say their responsibilities have expanded far beyond core reporting, with 37% experiencing layoffs at their organizations in just the past year.

The podcast breaks down what these pressures mean for brands seeking editorial coverage and why the old “spray and pray” approach has become counterproductive.

For journalists drowning in irrelevant pitches—86% immediately delete pitches unrelated to their beat—gaining attention has become what I call “an editorial Hunger Games.” Only 3% of journalists say they consistently receive relevant information, yet 47% get 6-20+ useless emails daily.

Journalism’s Platform Migration

There’s been an exodus from X (formerly Twitter). Once journalism’s town square, 35% of journalists have left the platform entirely, with 72% no longer trusting it to treat their content fairly. They’re migrating to LinkedIn (49% increasing usage), Instagram, and emerging platforms like Bluesky.

This fragmentation eliminates the centralized approach dominating media strategy for over a decade. Brands must now map journalist activity across multiple platforms while developing native content strategies for each channel.

New Opportunities with Independent Journalists

 34% of journalists now publish independently, with 61% monetizing these efforts. This creates new partnership possibilities for brands willing to build deeper relationships with writers controlling their own editorial calendars.

These independents may be more receptive to longer-term content partnerships or exclusive access arrangements that traditional newsroom ethics might prohibit—but only if brands respect their editorial independence and understand that authenticity is why they have audiences in the first place.

Lessons from Spectacular Failures

High-profile media relations disasters, from Elon Musk firing his PR team before tanking Tesla stock with midnight Twitter rants, to Kanye West dismissing PR firms before antisemitic comments destroyed billion-dollar partnerships with Adidas and Gap, serve as a reminder that when smart money meets unchecked ego, the money usually loses. Professional PR guidance protects reputation as much as it manages relationships.

The New Success Formula

Brands thriving in this environment share three core characteristics: precision targeting (pitching only journalists whose work genuinely aligns), platform agility (adapting to where journalists actually spend time), and a value-first approach (making journalists’ jobs easier rather than adding strain).

Simple actions like sending interview transcripts afterward build enormous goodwill. Engaging thoughtfully with journalists’ content long before needing coverage creates authentic relationships that traditional pitching cannot manufacture.