For more than a decade, media professionals around the world been given Cision’s State of the Media Report to be the industry . The State of the Media Report began in 2009 as a relatively small, joint study with George Washington University to get a pulse on how journalists were using this fascinating new technology called “social media” and interacting with PR professionals. Back then, only 56% of journalists said social media was “important” or “somewhat important” for reporting and producing stories. Compare that to today, with 97% of journalists using social media for a variety of work-related purposes – from reporting stories to finding sources. At the time, social media was in its infancy, with blogs, Facebook, and Twitter (now X, and once considered a “microblogging” site) commanding the most media attention. Fifteen years later, the media ecosystem looks dramatically different. Instagram, which didn’t even exist yet, is now one of the most-used platforms among journalists. For the 2024 report, Cisions surveyed more than 3,000 journalists worldwide to find out the challenges imposed by factors such as changing audience behaviors, industry downsizing, and not least of all, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Cisions examined the implications of these challenges for the media relations sector, as well as potential opportunities. Their respondents provided candid insight into what they want and need from public relations professionals, how to get their attention, and how to strengthen existing media relationships while formulating new ones.