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Cision's 2026 State of the Media Report reveals 66% of journalists rely on PR for story ideas
CHICAGO, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cision, a global leader in consumer and media intelligence, today released its 2026 State of the Media Report, revealing a shift in how the media ecosystem operates: PR is no longer just pitching stories, it's becoming a critical part of how the modern newsroom works.
Based on a global survey of nearly 2,000 journalists across 19 markets, the report finds that 66% of journalists rely on PR-provided content – including press releases, pitches, and media kits – for story ideas, making PR the leading source of story leads.
More information. More pressure.
Journalists are working across a more fragmented media landscape, and competing with creators and AI for audience attention. At the same time, newsroom constraints continue to grow:
- Accuracy, fact-checking, and combating misinformation emerged as the No. 1 challenge journalists face today
- 49% cite shrinking budgets, staff cuts, and increased workloads as their biggest obstacles
These trends point to a shift in how journalists and PR professionals work together, with journalists placing greater reliance on PR teams that can provide timely, relevant, and credible information.
"The 2026 report makes one thing clear: The newsroom and PR professionals are more interdependent than ever," said Amy Jones, Chief Marketing Officer at Cision. "As journalists face unprecedented pressure on their time and resources, PR is becoming an essential partner, providing data, ideas, and expert access that helps support the news cycle."
Key insights
- Relevance is the biggest gap
72% of journalists say fewer than a quarter of pitches are relevant - LinkedIn is the most valuable platform for media
62% use LinkedIn professionally, with 33% ranking it as the single most valuable platform for their work - AI is growing, but trust matters
53% oppose AI-generated pitches due to concerns around accuracy and personalization - What journalists value most in pitches
Original research, expert access, and embargoed information
What this means for PR
As AI becomes more embedded in newsrooms, generic outreach is losing impact.
Journalists are clear on what works: Relevant ideas, original research, credible data, expert access, and ready-to-use assets.
PR teams that support how journalists work, not just pitch them stories, are the ones that stand out.
In a faster, more fragmented media environment, clarity, and credibility, not volume, drive impact.
Download the 2026 State of the Media Report
Cision is following the report's release with a two-part webinar series featuring a panel of journalists who will unpack the findings and answer audience questions. Register for free
About the 2026 State of the Media Report
Cision's State of the Media Report has served as a trusted benchmark for more than a decade, helping communications professionals understand journalists' preferences, challenges, and evolving workflows.
The 2026 report is based on a survey conducted in January and February 2026 of 1,899 journalists across North America, EMEA, and APAC, representing digital publications, newspapers, magazines, broadcast outlets, and emerging media platforms.
About Cision
Cision is the global leader in consumer and media intelligence, engagement, and communication solutions. We equip PR and corporate communications, marketing, and social media professionals with the tools they need to excel in today's data driven world. Our deep expertise, exclusive data partnerships, and award-winning products, including CisionOne, Brandwatch, Trajaan, and PR Newswire, enable over 75,000 companies and organizations, including 84% of the Fortune 500, to see and be seen, understand and be understood by the audiences that matter most to them.
Media Contact:
Cision Public Relations
CisionPR@cision.com
Cision's 2026 State of the Media Report reveals 66% of journalists rely on PR for story ideas
CHICAGO, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cision, a global leader in consumer and media intelligence, today released its 2026 State of the Media Report, revealing a shift in how the media ecosystem operates: PR is no longer just pitching stories, it's becoming a critical part of how the modern newsroom works.
Based on a global survey of nearly 2,000 journalists across 19 markets, the report finds that 66% of journalists rely on PR-provided content – including press releases, pitches, and media kits – for story ideas, making PR the leading source of story leads.
More information. More pressure.
Journalists are working across a more fragmented media landscape, and competing with creators and AI for audience attention. At the same time, newsroom constraints continue to grow:
- Accuracy, fact-checking, and combating misinformation emerged as the No. 1 challenge journalists face today
- 49% cite shrinking budgets, staff cuts, and increased workloads as their biggest obstacles
These trends point to a shift in how journalists and PR professionals work together, with journalists placing greater reliance on PR teams that can provide timely, relevant, and credible information.
"The 2026 report makes one thing clear: The newsroom and PR professionals are more interdependent than ever," said Amy Jones, Chief Marketing Officer at Cision. "As journalists face unprecedented pressure on their time and resources, PR is becoming an essential partner, providing data, ideas, and expert access that helps support the news cycle."
Key insights
- Relevance is the biggest gap
72% of journalists say fewer than a quarter of pitches are relevant - LinkedIn is the most valuable platform for media
62% use LinkedIn professionally, with 33% ranking it as the single most valuable platform for their work - AI is growing, but trust matters
53% oppose AI-generated pitches due to concerns around accuracy and personalization - What journalists value most in pitches
Original research, expert access, and embargoed information
What this means for PR
As AI becomes more embedded in newsrooms, generic outreach is losing impact.
Journalists are clear on what works: Relevant ideas, original research, credible data, expert access, and ready-to-use assets.
PR teams that support how journalists work, not just pitch them stories, are the ones that stand out.
In a faster, more fragmented media environment, clarity, and credibility, not volume, drive impact.
Download the 2026 State of the Media Report
Cision is following the report's release with a two-part webinar series featuring a panel of journalists who will unpack the findings and answer audience questions. Register for free
About the 2026 State of the Media Report
Cision's State of the Media Report has served as a trusted benchmark for more than a decade, helping communications professionals understand journalists' preferences, challenges, and evolving workflows.
The 2026 report is based on a survey conducted in January and February 2026 of 1,899 journalists across North America, EMEA, and APAC, representing digital publications, newspapers, magazines, broadcast outlets, and emerging media platforms.
About Cision
Cision is the global leader in consumer and media intelligence, engagement, and communication solutions. We equip PR and corporate communications, marketing, and social media professionals with the tools they need to excel in today's data driven world. Our deep expertise, exclusive data partnerships, and award-winning products, including CisionOne, Brandwatch, Trajaan, and PR Newswire, enable over 75,000 companies and organizations, including 84% of the Fortune 500, to see and be seen, understand and be understood by the audiences that matter most to them.
Media Contact:
Cision Public Relations
CisionPR@cision.com
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
PR Emerges as the Primary Source for Journalists in High-Pressure Newsrooms
News Summary
- Relativity expands its Relativity Academic program with modules around its aiR suite of legal AI solutions, large language models and generative AI to prepare students for modern legal work.
- The program, now in its 14th year, reaches over 3,000 students annually and aims to equip future legal professionals with in-demand AI skills as the industry prioritizes tech-enabled talent.
- Relativity Academic provides free, hands-on experience with real-world legal technology to thousands of students worldwide.
CHICAGO, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity, a legal data intelligence company, today announced it has expanded Relativity Academic, its program that provides education to law school and paralegal students, with access to the generative AI-powered solutions in its aiR suite. Beginning in June, the Relativity Academic program curriculum will include modules covering large language models, generative AI, and how to use aiR for Review, aiR for Case Strategy, and aiR for Privilege.
"This incorporation of aiR solutions into the Relativity Academic curriculum goes beyond our proven dedication to expanding access to technology. This move is emblematic of our trust and investment in the next generation of legal talent," said Phil Saunders, CEO of Relativity. "The future of the legal profession is an AI-ready one and we want to further support the legal leaders of tomorrow with the knowledge and skill sets they need to enter the workforce with a bang."
According to the 2025 State of the Legal Industry report from SurePoint Technologies, law firms are increasingly recruiting legal professionals with AI expertise. Further, from 2024 to 2025, the report found that lateral hiring within the specialty of AI grew 68% across all attorney types in Am Law 200 firms, and associate lateral hiring increased by 106%. Relativity recognizes the importance of technology and AI proficiency in the hiring process and its academic program aims to arm students with the type of firsthand experience necessary to differentiate themselves amongst their peers.
"The Relativity Academic Program has been a boon to e-discovery education for over a decade, giving students not just conceptual grounding but genuine hands-on experience with the tools they will use in practice. Now, true to form, Relativity has stepped up to meet the watershed moment that generative AI represents for the profession," said William F. Hamilton, Master Legal Skills Professor at University of Florida Levin College of Law. "Adding aiR into the Academic Program does something essential: it moves students beyond awareness of generative AI into actual engagement with it, learning to interact with the technology, evaluate its outputs, and exercise the judgment that defines good lawyering. That capacity to think critically and judge wisely is the skill that will carry our students, and our profession, into the future."
Since it was established in 2012, the Relativity Academic program has partnered with more than 115 universities, law schools, paralegal and data science programs across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and select Asian and European countries, equipping over 3,000 students in the past year with practical experience using the same technology relied on by corporations, law firms, and government agencies.
Relativity Academic provides law schools, as well as paralegal and data science programs, with a hands-on technology component for their courses and access to a workspace in the AI platform for legal data intelligence, RelativityOne, free of charge. Participating students gain experience with AI-powered legal technology solutions, giving them a valuable foundation prior to graduating and entering the workforce.
Additionally, Relativity Academic delivers training for faculty, hands-on resources, localized curriculum and a community of Relativity professionals. Through the program, now in its 14th year, instructors can design assignments that mirror real-world scenarios, giving students direct experience with document review, issue tagging, workflow management, and case organization.
Those interested in exploring opportunities to integrate AI into their curricula may reach out to academic@relativity.com or visit www.relativity.com/resources/academic to learn more.
About Relativity
Relativity is a leading legal data intelligence company that builds technology to help users organize data, discover the truth, and act on it. Its extensible, AI-powered cloud platform, RelativityOne, transforms complex data into actionable insights at massive scale for litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, data breach responses, and other legal use cases. The world's largest law firms and corporations, government agencies, and a robust network of channel partners rely on Relativity's legal AI software to securely surface and manage the most relevant and impactful information in their matters. The company also expands access to technology by providing its platform at no cost to academic institutions through its Relativity Academic program and to organizations supporting pro bono legal work through its Justice for Change initiative.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Relativity Equips Future Legal Talent with AI Through Its Relativity Academic Program
