by Vivian Stürmann, Managing Director/Partner zeron GmbH / Agentur für PR & Content
The world of communications and media is undergoing major changes – as is the way people use media. Publishers are under pressure, and journalists are often no longer just editors but content creators for a wide variety of channels.
At the same time, the reach of traditional media is shifting towards social media. This is changing not only the needs of editorial teams, but also the scope of action for communications professionals. After all, PR must operate across all these spheres. And communications professionals must adapt their work to these new requirements.
What does this mean in practical terms for PR?
We at zeron wanted to find out more about this, so back in September 2025 we launched our own survey amongst the 2,500 journalists on our press distribution lists.* These results, along with further research and a wealth of experience, have gone into my 10 learnings for day-to-day press relations. Which, this time, are very practical.
*Source: Non-representative zeron survey conducted in September 2025 amongst 2,500 journalists from the zeron database. Response rate: 5.4 per cent.
#1. Press releases remain the most important PR tool.
In our survey amongst journalists, participants rated the relevance of press releases to their editorial work at an average of 4.39 out of 5 stars. The score was 4.42 stars in the general press, 4.39 in the trade press and 4.10 in the daily press. And when, as a cross-check, we asked how journalists would like to be kept informed if companies were to stop issuing press releases, the most common answer was:
Press releases are essential.
This is also confirmed by news aktuell’s Media Trend Monitor 2025, which surveyed more than 1,000 journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland: 85 per cent use press releases as a source of research – putting them in first place, ahead of face-to-face conversations and search engines.
#2. Not every piece of news requires a press release.
Keep it short, please! This was another request from journalists. There is a need for more brief company and product news items as well as concise information. This is understandable, as resources in newsrooms are becoming increasingly scarce. According to Cision, 60 per cent of DACH journalists surveyed cite resource constraints as one of their biggest challenges.*
In my view, for PR this means more than simply being asked to write shorter texts. We need to be much more consistent in distinguishing between major news stories and minor updates – and develop the appropriate formats for both. After all, not every new product launch and not every company announcement warrants a detailed press release.
For smaller stories, we are therefore increasingly relying on Product Flashes and News Snacks: short, half-page reports that get straight to the heart of the matter. This saves time, makes it easier to assess stories quickly from an editorial perspective, and makes us more agile in our PR work.
*Source: Cison State of the Media Report 2026 – DACH Edition. Around 180 media professionals took part in the survey in early 2026.
#3. Media relations are becoming increasingly important.
Personal media relations have always been important. However, their strategic value is set to increase significantly in the future. This is because, whilst AI is increasingly automating the production and dissemination of information, what will become particularly valuable to journalists are the things that cannot be generated at the touch of a button: exclusive insights, in-depth expert knowledge, robust data and reliable sources.
What’s more, editorial inboxes are overflowing. Our experience shows that simply sending out a press release is not enough. Personal contact with editorial teams is, and always will be, essential. It cannot be automated. We must view media relations as an asset in its own right and systematically establish and expand our contacts with editorial teams.
In the form of specific proposals for topics that fit in with editorial plans. In the form of background discussions, which may not always lead directly to a publication. After all, we should not only be asking ourselves how we can get our topics into the newsrooms, but also how we can become a valuable source for journalists.
#4. Statements with substance are clipping boosters.
Journalists want statements and quotes to use as building blocks for their editorial work – this was also revealed by our survey. They should be a standard feature of every press release for corporate and trade press relations. This is worth noting because it does not always happen.
We have had very positive experiences with a format that we now use routinely, as it goes down so well with the media whilst also being a highly effective way of positioning the company and its CEO: statement PR. The statement itself is the news. And the more straightforward and to-the-point it is, the more appealing it is to journalists. This sometimes requires courage, but it pays off.
A case study from our agency’s experience illustrates just how effective statement PR can be: with a statement press release on a topical industry issue, we secured just under 500 press clippings for a client, reaching an audience of over 30 million. The dpa also picked up on the story. We would not have achieved such a result with a traditional press release...
#5. Are content kits on the rise?
One of the key aims of our survey amongst journalists was to find out which text modules are helpful to journalists in their editorial work, given that they are increasingly acting not only as editors but also as content creators for various channels, ranging from digital to social media.
Wouldn’t it make sense, rather than issuing a single press release, to offer a content package comprising various content pieces, such as a newsletter teaser, a website text or various social media posts with accompanying visuals or videos?
Our survey provides a nuanced answer here: individual content elements such as a short version of the press release, a selection of different statements (not just one!) and infographics, as well as photos of those quoted, are in high demand. Social media modules, on the other hand, are not yet quite as strong, averaging just under 3 out of 5 stars. It is striking that the trade press rates them slightly higher, at 3.3 stars. We include them in our content kits anyway. Because I believe that this is where the future lies. And because, in PR, we need to anticipate change and help shape it.
#6. Themed mailings are content with a long-term impact.
We deal with a wide range of topics in our day-to-day business. For some, the news value lies in their ‘timeliness’; for others, there is no such news value. However, these topics are nonetheless interesting and relevant – either in general, on specific occasions or at certain times of year.
For this sort of occasion-based or evergreen content, we’ve developed a format that isn’t actually all that new, but still works perfectly: themed mailings, as we call them. These can include seasonal recipes, home and lifestyle inspiration, or practical advice and tips.
We bring together such topics in attractively designed mailings for the media. Which they are keen to save, so they can then draw on this content for up to three years, as our experience and our own case studies demonstrate.
#7. Your own press section: seriously underestimated!
“When you research – what sources do you use?” – we also put this question to the journalists in our survey. Google topped the list of responses – closely followed by the press section on company websites, individual enquiries to the press office and research on the company website.
But: Are we living up to this expectation? Is the press section really a valuable resource for journalists, and is it actually designed in such a way that journalists can find what is important there? Or is the press section more of a landing page for press enquiries and an archive for press releases? Where are the position papers and strategy documents, and where are the key messages? And is this content optimised for Google and AI, so that it can be found and indexed there too?
We in PR should be asking ourselves these questions openly, rather than leaving them to the digital team. Instead, we should actively reshape the press section and develop it into a research platform based on SEO and GEO standards.
#8. Using social media for agenda-setting.
In our survey, many journalists cite social media as an important source of research. They use social networks – from LinkedIn to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok – as a way of keeping an eye on trending topics. The "Media Trend Monitor 2025" by news aktuell confirms this: 54 per cent of the media professionals surveyed use social media for research.*
This offers great potential for strategic agenda-setting. Why should we wait for the media to pick up on an issue when we can help put it on the agenda ourselves? By sharing figures, well-researched expert contributions, a clear stance or a pointed argument on LinkedIn and other relevant platforms, we can spark discussions and take the lead on issues at an early stage.
Social media is becoming a strategic tool for agenda-setting. Let’s not leave this to the social media and marketing teams. Let’s use it to deliver our strategic product and corporate messages.
*Source: news aktuell Media Trend Monitor 2025. "Journalismus im Stresstest". Survey of more than 1,000 journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
#9. Press portals and news portals – important or unimportant?
Press portals are often underestimated in the PR sector. Yet more than half of the journalists we surveyed use press portals as a source for their research. They are of particular interest to the general-interest press. The "Media Trend Monitor 2025" by news aktuell confirms their relevance: 53 per cent of the media professionals surveyed use press portals for their research.
I believe we should make more strategic use of press portals. This is because they enable us to make information accessible beyond our own press distribution lists and ensure it remains discoverable in the long term. This becomes particularly important when journalists, search engines and AI systems are looking for information about companies, brands or topics. Even if this does incur additional costs...
In my view, press portals are a key component of the PR mix, acting as targeted amplifiers. This is because they enable us to improve our digital visibility, gain additional reach and secure editorial coverage.
#10. Plan strategic media budget.
We still tend to view PR very much through the lens of earned media – that is, unpaid editorial coverage. I believe this is too short-sighted a perspective. A shrinking media landscape, with declining reach whilst the role of AI in press reports grows, will make traditional media far more relevant. And since media organisations need not only good stories but also revenue, they will charge for this.
A real stress test for PR, which it can only overcome with absolutely top-tier topics – or with a strategic media budget. However, this requires a shift in thinking. In future, PR practitioners will need to consider earned and paid media (paid media coverage) much more holistically than before and, to this end, work more closely with marketing and media. PR should know what marketing and media are doing. And marketing and media should know which topics and media are relevant to PR.
So that a portion of the media budget can be strategically allocated to ensure a media presence that remains highly relevant.
Do you find these 10 learnings on press relations interesting? If so, I look forward to receiving your feedback or comments.
Vivian Stürmann
Managing Director / Partner
v.stuermann@zeron.de
www.linkedin.com/VivianStuermann