30 Mar PR needs to adapt to today’s changing media landscape

Many PR professionals I know and the sector forum commentaries I observe say they’re worried by the shrinking media landscape.

Newsrooms are smaller, sometimes titles disappear overnight, journalists are stretched thinner than ever, and the news itself is often appears more focused on achieving clicks, rather than communicating anything of value to audiences who matter.

This doesn’t bother me. Like many things in life, change is the only constant and all of this merely represents the reality we’re all working in.

But. While the landscape has changed, the fundamentals of good public relations haven’t. If anything, they’re becoming clearer all the time.

For too long, sections of the industry have equated success with a single outcome: Landing coverage in the biggest possible media outlet. A front page mention or a national headline was deemed ‘mission accomplished,’ but this never represented the whole story.

At its best, PR is and remains a process of understanding people. Your audiences, stakeholders, critics, and advocates need to be the starting point for any effective communications plan. The current media environment hasn’t diminished the goal of ‘communicating with purpose.’ It’s simply forcing us to return to this essential starting-point.

In fact, when media space contracts, strategy matters more.

The organisations More Fire PR works with, whether they’re universities, other public sector bodies or private businesses, aren’t simply looking for visibility. They’re seeking impact. This means starting with clarity: What are you trying to say, who needs to hear it, and what do you want them to do next?

These questions sound straightforward, but they’re often where the real work begins.

In higher education, for example, communications isn’t just about student recruitment campaigns or research announcements. It’s about reputation, trust, partnerships and differentiation. A single piece of national coverage can be useful, but it won’t carry this weight alone.

Impact requires a mix of activity

Impact comes from a mixture of activities, ranging from thoughtful commentary positioning academic expertise within current public debate, through to consistent storytelling that builds institutional identity, and engagement with policymakers, partners and local communities.

Yes, media coverage still plays a key role, but it’s part of a wider ecosystem, not an end unto itself.

This  shift also changes how success is measured. For years, the industry has lent on metrics like ‘advertising value equivalency,’ or sheer repetition of coverage. These were always blunt instruments, and they’re increasingly out of step with what organisations actually need.

Senior leaders are rightly asking tougher questions. How does this support our strategy? What difference does it make? Where’s the return?

Better tools, data and understanding or how reputation works are helping communication teams draw a clearer line between activity and outcome. We can now track how audiences respond in real time, understand perception shifts, and link engagement with tangible organisational goals.

That might mean illustrating how a thought leadership campaign improves an institution’s standing when measured against its competition, or how consistent internal and external messaging strengthens staff alignment and performance. But this is how real organisational value is achieved.

Media pressure means improved opportunities

On the media front the growing pressure on journalists to deliver newsworthy content makes good PR even more valuable. Reporters have less time, fewer resources and more demands, which creates an opportunity for communicators to add genuine value.

Providing credible experts, clear data, and trustworthy, well-evidenced insight helps journalists do their jobs and builds established relationships.

But the bar is higher. It’s no longer about how often you appear, but where and why. A well-placed piece of coverage, and effective event or a social media campaign that reaches the right target audience is more valuable than a dozen superficial mentions.

Quality over quantity isn’t a new idea, but it has new urgency.

And beyond traditional media, the range of channels available to organisations has expanded significantly. Owned platforms, including websites, blogs and newsletters, offer space to tell stories more comprehensively.

Social channels, especially those followed by senior leaders, allow for direct engagement with key audiences. Podcasts and partnerships create opportunities for deeper, more meaningful interactions.

PR beyond media relations

Even word-of-mouth, often overlooked, remains one of the most powerful forms of communication. Reputation is built as much through what people say about you as what you say about yourself.

All of this demands a more integrated approach.

PR is no longer confined to media relations. It sits across brand, strategy, leadership, crisis management and stakeholder engagement. It connects internal and external communication. It supports organisational priorities, rather than operating alongside them.

The media landscape may be more challenging, but the influence of PR is growing. Not because of the number of headlines it generates, but because of the clarity, consistency and credibility it brings to how organisations communicate. The front page still matters, but it’s no longer the ultimate prize.

By Mark Ferguson, Director – More Fire PR Ltd