Executive Summary

The Struggle Is Real

With a seemingly infinite supply of crises, the year 2020 made an indelible mark on newsrooms around the world. Communities looked to the media for information and a chance to be heard as they navigated a relentless pandemic, global recession, racial and social strife and catastrophic natural disasters. Not to mention divisive elections, tense foreign affairs, and yes, even murder hornets.

As 2020 shaped up to be one of the biggest dumpster fires in history, a host of new challenges arose for journalists on top of those already in play. Lean staffs covering multiple beats were stretched even thinner, charged with tracking down virtual sources for information on a virus with a strange name – all while fending off attacks on freedom of the press and accusations of fake news. And while the media did what they always do – charge ahead and find the story – those challenges didn’t suddenly disappear when the clock struck midnight on December 31. Those challenges continue to influence the press, from editorial strategies to how they work with PR pros.

To gain deeper insights into today’s media landscape, Cision surveyed more than 2,700 journalists in 15 countries across the globe from February 1 to March 1, 2021 and asked them to spill the tea on everything from factors changing the way they work and the types of stories they want, to why they put PR pros on the “block/don’t call” list and how PR pros can build stronger relationships with media to get coverage.

The result? Cision’s 12th annual State of the Media study, packed to the brim with surprising insights, best practices and “aha” moments.