10 PR blog posts that summarize the state of comms in 2025
Written by admin on December 31, 2025
Generative AI went from novelty to mainstream, making PR a business priority and bringing new trends, yet the fundamentals of communications remain the same
In my observation, the year 2025 has been one of the most interesting years in public relations (PR) since social media went mainstream about a decade ago.
Generative AI went from novelty to mainstream – and made PR a business priority.
It has conjured new trends to examine – and cast older ones in a new light.
It’s made blogs and press releases fashionable again – and social media is losing it’s luster.
In spite of all this, the fundamentals of communications – audience identification, research, positioning, message development, execution and measurement – remain the same.
As with matter in physics, at the smallest of known scales, good PR is fundamentally made of the same stuff, it’s just the configuration that changes.
It’s been fun to watch, read, study and write about. Below are some of the most popular posts about PR published on this blog this year.
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1. Contrary to popular belief, building media lists are not rote work
Building out a media list isn’t about adding names and emails to a spreadsheet – or pulling a list of reporters from a database – it’s about understanding the people you want to influence.
Read more: Building a media list for PR is a strategic research process [contrarian view]
2. Just 1% of PR pros invest in professional development
A PRSA survey last year suggested just 1 out of every 100 PR and comms professionals invest in their own professional development with any sort of cadence or frequency.
Read more: 7 mostly free professional development ideas that PR and comms pros can start today
3. This is the AI question of the year for PR pros: how do we get covered?
The fundamentals of comms still apply: know your audience, articulate a story, speak in plain language, answer specific questions.
Read more: How can communicators pitch an LLM?
4. PR people overplay the relationship with journalists
The question prospective clients and employers need to ask is: how do you earn coverage when you don’t have a relationship with a journalist?
5. Sound advice for PR pitching that isn’t the usual yada-yada
Brass tack answers from an experienced professional, who still pitches every week, to common questions about pitching the media.
Read more: Media pitching: Adding perspective to Michael Smart’s FAQs for Muck Rack
6. How is PR monitoring generative AI
Most of the work is a manual effort coupled with a mishmash of ideas, concepts, metrics, and nascent tools; there’s no Radian6 for AI visibility yet.
Read more: How PR and marketing pros are monitoring AI visibility for clients and brands
7. Does mainstream media still matter to PR?
There’s nothing you can say about yourself that has the same influence as someone else saying it about you; if PR keeps that central tenet in mind, then you are adaptable to whatever the future might bring.
Read more: Is the influence of traditional media – and by extension media relations – waning?
8. LLMs are the new “front page” for PR
Generative AI answers questions better than search; that’s changing behavior where Google was once the new front page it may be losing its influence to LLMs.
Read more: Are LLMs becoming the new front page for public relations?
9. Reach doesn’t matter if no one believes you
Marketing and comms put most of its emphasis on reach when we’d be better served by putting the emphasis on being believed.
Read more: Not just seen, but believed: trust is the new mandate for marketing and comms
10. PR coverage and blogs feed generative AI
Third-party validation is proving to be an influential factor in AI visibility; PR and blogging excel at this task.
Read more: PR and high-quality blogs are well-positioned to boost AI visibility, study by Semrush suggests
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Image: Gemini
