Navigating Media Layoffs, Consolidation and Fragmentation: Top PR Takeaways for Brands
Insights from Janel Hlebak, Senior Account Supervisor
TL;DR: The media landscape continues to evolve, with mass layoffs, niche publications and the rise of generative AI reshaping approaches to media relations. Earned media success now depends on strong relationships, tailored pitches and emerging platforms like podcasts, newsletters and journo-fluencers. Brands must also redefine success metrics beyond traditional placements to measure long-term impact on awareness and audience engagement.
2024 was a challenging year for the news media industry, characterized by mass layoffs, mergers and shutterings across major magazine and media conglomerates, including Condé Nast, DotDash Meredith, Hearst and Vox Media.
Shifting business models, declining ad revenue and rising competition from big tech companies are some of the primary drivers. These trends have been percolating for years, but the recent rise of generative AI has spurred cuts while also creating new opportunities.
This carries significant implications for how B2B and B2C brands tell their stories, connect with their audiences and protect their reputations; especially with the rise of journo-fluencers and freelance journalists, traditional approaches to media relations are due for a refresh.
What can brands do in 2025 and beyond to reach target audiences? We outline five considerations below.
Prioritize relationship-building
With smaller newsrooms, more assignments and constant pressure to produce content that earns commissions, sending a product sample, offering a trip or simply knowing someone isn’t enough to earn coverage from a journalist.
Knowing a journalist’s beat, the audiences they write for and the topics they cover are just table stakes. Beyond that, it’s imperative to have regular conversations with them to learn what’s changing at their publication, what they’re focusing on, what stories they’re working on and any nuances their publication may have about brand inclusions. What’s more, it's important to know them as people.
Whether it’s a 15-minute introductory call, a quarterly cup of coffee, engaging on social media or a “just catching up” email, building and maintaining relationships with editors important to your brand is key to the long game.
Tighten your targets
Nothing tells a journalist you didn’t do your homework like sending an irrelevant pitch. Even if it’s perfectly written (or so you think), the most innovative product or a complete fit for their publication, if the story doesn’t resonate with the journalist, then it’s an email wasted.
Beyond that, we’re seeing a trend of niche-ification, where publications are narrowing their focus areas to curate a more dedicated experience, and therefore, audience. A recent example is Popsugar’s rebrand to “PS,” focusing on wellness rather than broader women’s lifestyle topics.
While this might seem like fewer avenues for storytelling, the curated focus ensures that your story is being told to an audience most likely to take action.
Make your news matter
Inboxes are cluttered. Forty-six percent of journalists report that they get six or more pitches a day, according to Muck Rack, with some receiving hundreds at peak times like Amazon Prime Day or the holiday season. To make matters worse, journalists have to sort through similar themes across hundreds of different pitches—from every brand’s engagement with “demure” to the oversaturated Barbie collabs.
What makes a story newsworthy hasn’t changed; timeliness, fresh data, a unique POV, cultural relevance and impact are still the foremost considerations. True breaking news will always remain at the forefront of journalism, but an enduring commitment to expert commentary, proprietary data and original ideas will maximize chances of earned coverage.
From creative activations and partnerships to thoughtful insertion in industry conversations, it’s all about finding fresh ways to make your stories stand out from the clutter.
Explore new outlets and opportunities
While a prime spot on a morning broadcast segment may be thought of as the crème de la crème of earned media, it’s not the be-all, end-all.
According to Pew Research, 86% of Americans get their news from smartphones, tablets or computers at least some of the time, and 54% of adults get some of their news from social media. This means that it’s increasingly necessary to target these avenues to get your story across, and there are a few ways they can be incorporated into earned strategies:
Podcasts – With more than 40% of the U.S. listening to a podcast in the last month, according to Statista, exploring opportunities for brand representatives to share their expert commentary can reach a potentially untapped audience.
Substacks & Newsletters – Journalists are leaning into both Substacks and niche newsletters to distribute content to targeted audiences. The niche-ification of these allows for brands to meet their most likely consumers right in their inboxes.
Journo-fluencers - Journalists are using their expertise and trusted voices to create content across social media platforms, offering brands a new vehicle for storytelling.
Redefine success
The number of placements, the UVM and the ad value are no longer enough to paint a full picture of the success of an earned media relations program.
Finding ways to measure brand awareness over time, including website traffic, YoY social follows, SOV among competitors, key message pull through, podcast listenership and new media outlets reached are all important considerations for measuring success and seeing the full scale of earned media’s value.
To learn how our communications experts help brands tell stories that impact business outcomes, check out our services here.