Media Relations Rewired: Evolving Trends and What to Do Now

Media relations isn’t dying—it’s splintering. With the rapid growth of AI, it is rewiring itself into “traditional + digital + AI” remix.

After mining the recent thinking from Worldcom PR Group partners across the globe, here are the trends happening in media relations. Their insights will get you in sync with trends and provide advice on how to get ahead of it.

Think beyond the press release

For decades, the press release was the cornerstone of media relations. It set the narrative, carried the news hook, and provided journalists with the who, what, when, where, and why. That role isn’t going away — but it’s evolving fast.

Press releases still matter—but they’re “table stakes.” The lift comes from getting with the before (pre-briefs, assets, spokespeople) and after (rapid response, social amplification, owned content).

What to do

Ship full press kits: video b-roll, stills, data tables, spec sheets, demo access.
Pre-brief key reporters and line up a reactive POV to ride the news cycle post-launch.

Earned Media becomes AI search Training Data

Generative engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) are now a real step in many buyers’ journeys. They summarize markets, generate vendor shortlists, and have universally started to cite sources.

That makes credible earned coverage a visibility flywheel: every mention from a website with high domain authority increases your odds of being recommended in AI results. Treat this like SEO for LLMs—or GEO (generative engine optimization).

What to do

Prioritize placements in authoritative, independent outlets and expert columns.
Make sure your exec quotes are unambiguous and fact-rich (easy for models to lift).
Keep your newsroom structured so crawlers can parse assets quickly.

Affiliate PR goes Mainstream

More publishers expect commerce-backed links, especially for product roundups and gift guides. Done transparently, affiliate programs let PR teams prove revenue impact from coverage and unlock placements that were previously out of reach.

What to do

Stand up (or refine) an affiliate program and provide clean links, feeds, and terms.
Align pitches to editorial and commerce calendars (Prime Day, back-to-school, holidays).

Traditional + Digital isn’t a debate—it’s a stack

Broadcast and print still signal trust and scale. Blended with podcasts, newsletters, creators, and niche trades, you have the ability to deliver speed, depth, and targeted reach. The best programs orchestrate both, not either/or.

What to do

Build truly integrated media maps: national, trade, newsletters/Substack, podcasts, creators.
Repurpose a single story across channels with format-native assets.

Measurement 2.0: SOV + Analytics + Authority

Modern reporting blends competitive share-of-voice, traffic correlations in analytics, and authority signals (domain strength, citations).

If you’re not tying coverage to outcomes, you’ll lose budget to paid and lifecycle teams.

What to do

Benchmark SOV quarterly; annotate web analytics with publish dates; track referral spikes.
Flag which hits are likely to influence AI answers (authority + recency + clarity).
Use guidance from Google AI Overviews as insight into GEO Positions

Events & Trade Shows are back (and they’re worth it)

Press events, trade shows, and IRL demos are resurging because they generate visuals, quotes, and first-person reporting that stand out. Those pieces of content are important for both social feeds and AI citations.

It is necessary for a company to create an immersive experience for an event to stand out from competitors, attract media attention. It is also a way to reach new audiences. Having trained PR staff on the ground turns “coverage” into memorable coverage.

What to do

Invest in show-floor media tours and content capture.
Prep spokespeople and run a live “newsroom” for rapid edits and distribution.
Do your homework for media in attendance to connect and communicate

Executive Presence is a Media Must

Great spokespeople still win the best stories. Presentation and delivery—breath, pace, gestures—matter on stage, on camera, and on podcasts. This is media training, and it is needed from the top down. Once you have the team trained, it’s a durable advantage.

What to do

Treat media training as ongoing coaching, not a one-off workshop.
Record and review practice interviews.
Build a personal message bank for execs.

Influencers and Journalists are Complementary, not Substitutes

Influencers deliver authenticity and fast turnaround to targeted communities. Journalists deliver depth, verification, and long-tail credibility. There might be some overlap in their audiences, but they will most likely help you reach different targest. Smart media plans use both—and connect the dots and fill in the gaps with your owned media content.

What to do

Map creator segments by audience and proof points (tutorials, reviews, POVs).
Trace how influencer content seeds journalist interest—and vice versa.
Maintain great relationships with all media outlets and contacts.

Trust is Spiky and Local Still Wins

Trust varies widely by market, influencer and media outlet. There is still a truth that local and regional media retain outsized credibility with some audiences. Don’t chase only national splash when a local front page can convert better.

One good story in a local radio or news outlet can catch fire and become the darling of national media.

What to do

Add regional beats and local broadcast to your tier-one list when it matches the goal.
Localize data (jobs, investment, community impact) to earn coverage that sticks.
Great stories might have local presence and global appeal.

Speed becomes a Superpower (ethically)

Newsjacking remains one of the fastest paths to relevance—if your POV adds value and stays on brand. Build the muscle now so you can safely move in hours, not days.

What to do

Stand up a rapid-response playbook with approvals, subject-matter owners, and pre-cleared language.
Maintain “evergreen” expert statements and data snippets you can tailor quickly.

5 Predictions for the next 12 months

While you are working on these media relations actions, the PR world is most likely changing around you. Some of these changes are already happening, and our partners have their finger on the pulse of or are creating what is next.

GEO will get budget line items. Companies will fund “AI visibility” programs that prioritize authoritative earned coverage, structured newsroom content, and consistent expert citations to influence generative answers.
Commerce-backed pitching expands beyond consumer. B2B publishers with buyer’s guides will formalize hybrid editorial/commerce models; PR teams will partner closely with performance marketers to secure inclusion.
Press events evolve into content factories. Expect more “capture days” at plants, labs, and booths—DSLR + vertical video + podcast nooks—to feed newsrooms, socials, and LLMs with original signals.
Hybrid stacks beat channel bets. The most effective programs will orchestrate national + trade + podcast + creator + newsletter ecosystems with consistent narratives and measurable hand-offs.
Source hygiene becomes strategy. With Wikipedia-style standards spreading to AI and newsroom policies, comms teams will harden sourcing: independent corroboration, transparent data notes, and archival links baked into every pitch.