Fragmented Media Require New Media Relations Tactics, Measurements

In recent years, media relations have undergone a significant evolution. More news outlets have closed or merged due to declining ad revenues, and reporters have continued to lose their jobs. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, media relations professionals have outnumbered journalists by six to one since before the pandemic. However, media relations practitioners now have fewer opportunities to place client stories in the mainstream press.

Amid the confusion and uncertainty of this media industry shakeup, one thing is clear: We must rethink our PR strategies and prioritize quality over quantity in earned media coverage. To that end, 2025 might be the year that we dump the dreaded “unique visitors per month” metric for the media websites where we place client stories. It might also be time to stop worrying about social media impressions.

A focus on audiences

To reach our target audiences, we need to understand where they get their news.

Ten years ago, clients wanted marquee coverage in The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times. Those high-profile placements still have merit, but mentions in trade publications or on podcasts can also bring powerful results for brands.

If you’re a B2B organization looking to reach business leaders in health care, for example, those executives might not read Forbes every day, but they are reading health care trades to get their industry’s latest news. Trade publications, many now online, might reach fewer readers, but they reach the right readers for your story.

Qualitative metrics

Media relations measurement has long been a numbers game, based on stories placed and a publication’s circulation or tally of unique visitors per month. These metrics still indicate reach and visibility, but as signs of media relations success, they fall short today.

With the news media landscape fragmented, we must reach the right audiences and use more insight to measure PR success. As media channels multiply and audiences become more discerning about the content they consume, the limitations of quantitative PR metrics have become increasingly apparent.

Qualitative metrics, such as message pull-through, which evaluates how well a brand’s key messages are conveyed in media coverage, and share of voice, which assesses a brand’s media presence relative to those of its competitors, can shine in 2025 and beyond.

Coverage in a trade publication may offer greater message pull-through and share of voice than a fleeting mention in a mainstream news outlet. Media relations quality no longer means high impression counts from a well-known news organization.

Media relations measurements evolve

As PR pros, we should be open to investing in new tools that evaluate the success of our earned-media efforts. Social-listening platforms, sentiment-analysis tools and advanced media-monitoring systems provide a wealth of information that we can use to measure the qualitative success of our media relations efforts.

With platforms that monitor the success of PR campaigns, we can track how our messages are perceived and shared. After being trained to use such platforms, communications teams will need time to interpret the qualitative data they provide.

Modern media measurement tools help us analyze nuances of audience engagement and sentiment, insights that we can use to make more informed decisions in our campaigns. By communicating such measurements to clients, PR pros can demonstrate the value of a qualitative approach to media relations.

This year, prioritizing media relations quality over quantity, and embracing new measurement techniques, will help us create meaningful audience connections and real impact.

Linda Rosenblum is the media relations director at Red Thread PR in Philadelphia.

Illustration credit: metamorworks

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