If there’s one thing that’s constant in PR, it’s change.
Brands and organizations are always finding new ways to earn media attention. What once revolved around newspapers and TV has evolved into blogs, podcasts, and digital outlets as audiences consume more content online.
Drawing on our experience as a digital PR agency, we’ve put together a snapshot of the public relations industry in 2025—and the key trends shaping its future.
Here are 25 important PR statistics and trends based on our research and internal data.
PR industry growth statistics
1. The global public relations market is projected to reach $132.52 billion by 2029
This is an increase from $100.06 billion estimated for 2024, and the global PR market is expected to grow to $132.52 billion by 2029 at a 6% CAGR (compound annual growth rate).
Historic growth stemmed from reputation management, crisis response, and community engagement. Future expansion is driven by digital and social media dominance, influencer marketing, digital marketing integration, and data-driven strategy.
Key trends include inclusion, interactive content, and employee advocacy, though forecasts dipped 0.2% due to U.S. tariffs raising tech costs and slowing agency response times.
Source: Research and Markets.
2. 60% of PR firms project business growth
In a January 2025 survey of PR firms worldwide, nearly one in seven respondents projected business growth compared to 2024, while 28% expected no change and 3% predicted decline.
Source: Statista.
3. Consultancy and strategic communication rank as the top growth opportunity
In a recent survey, one in four PR firms said consultancy and strategic communication had the most growth potential among PR services. Issues and crisis management followed, with 21% of surveyed firms naming it the service area with the greatest potential.
Source: Statista.
4. 29% of PR firms cite client investment confidence as a top challenge
In a global survey conducted in early 2025, nearly one in three PR professionals identified clients’ confidence to invest amid economic uncertainty as one of the biggest challenges facing the industry.
Implementing new disciplines or technologies followed closely, cited by 23% of respondents. Despite these challenges, the study also highlighted corporate reputation as one of the biggest opportunities for PR firms worldwide.
Source: Statista.
5. About 20% of PR firms see growth opportunities in the technology sector
When asked about industries with the most potential, around one in five PR firms worldwide pointed to technology as a key growth area. The energy and utilities sector came next at 14%, followed by government affairs and the public sector at 13%.
Source: Statista.
PR Statistics – Average Costs
6. The median annual salary for a PR specialist in the U.S. is nearly $70,000
In May 2024, the median annual wage for a public relations specialist in the U.S. was about $69,780. This was an 11% increase from $62,800 just two years before. Ultimately, the salary depends on the location, company, and experience of the PR specialist.
Source: Statista.
7. The average hourly rate at a PR agency is between $150-$250 per hour
While our agency doesn’t charge by the hour, it helps to know what’s typical in the industry. Most external PR agencies or consultants charge at least $150 per hour, though smaller firms may start around $125/hour, and top-tier agencies can reach $500/hour or more.
Source: R Public Relations.
8. The average cost for PR services is $10,000 to $49,000 per month
According to Clutch, a B2B reviews platform, quality PR services typically cost between $10,000 and $49,000 per month. Larger campaigns often climb to $50,000–$199,000 monthly, with top-tier retainers exceeding $200,000. These fees usually cover content creation, pitching, press release writing and distribution, and other deliverables included in a monthly retainer. Digital PR services, that are focused exclusively on digital outlets, can range from $5,000/month and up.
Source: Clutch.
Stress and mental health in PR statistics
Many PR professionals experience mental health challenges due to stress. According to Innovative PR, common causes include:
- Tight deadlines
- Unreasonable clients
- Constantly changing media landscape
- Confrontational reporters
- Cynical public
If you’re feeling stress in your PR role, try these strategies:
- Speak up – Explain missed deadlines or unmet goals objectively to help others understand your workload.
- Ask for help – Consult a professional if stress becomes overwhelming.
- Say “No” – Limit commitments to avoid taking on too much.
If you’re still feeling anxious, Mayo Clinic has some helpful tips for coping that might help.
9. Work-related stress affects the mental health of 92% of PR professionals
In a 2024 survey of public relations professionals, more than 9 in 10 respondents agreed that stress at work had a significant effect on their mental well-being.
This PR statistic highlights the high-pressure nature of PR, where client management, media relations, crisis handling, and constant multitasking contribute to a challenging environment.
Sources: Prowly.
10. Nearly 4 in 10 of PR pros feel stressed several times a week
Public relations statistics reveal about 38% of PR professionals reported feeling stressed multiple times per week. Female freelancers were particularly affected, with nearly half reporting daily stress compared to one-third of male freelancers.
Source: Prowly.
11. Predicting outcomes is the most stressful task for 61% of PR pros
Survey participants highlighted predicting campaign results as the leading source of job-related stress. Other top stressors include securing media coverage and reporting to demonstrate PR value.
Stress patterns also vary by gender and work setting: female PR professionals prioritize showing PR value, while male professionals cite handling social media.
Agency staff are mainly stressed by forecasting results, whereas in-house PR teams find creating innovative campaigns more stressful.
Source: Prowly.
12. Nearly 50% of PR professionals say hiring more specialists and increasing budgets would reduce stress
Nearly half of respondents recommended expanding teams and budgets to improve stress in their work environment. Meanwhile, PR statistics reveal 43% of professionals emphasize open communication and media education with clients or stakeholders.
Freelancers particularly highlighted creating more professional communities as a way to alleviate stress.
Source: Prowly.
Journalist behavior statistics in PR
Understanding what journalists want—and what can get you placed on the “don’t call” list—can help you perfect your approach to PR. Here are some helpful journalist behavior stats we found.
13. 72% of journalists want a press release—but 90% of those they receive are irrelevant
A 2025 report from Cision found that 72% of journalists most want to receive news announcements/press releases from PR representatives, and 33% said it’s the most important thing to include in a pitch. About 54% said compelling data or statistics, 49% said a unique story angle, and 43% said clear contact information.
However, only about 10% of the releases they receive are relevant to their audience or coverage area.
Rounding out the top three things journalists want are exclusives for stories (57%) and original research reports (55%).
Relevant, well-targeted press releases still matter. While outreach is still a great way to reach journalists within your project’s scope, press releases help earn coverage and attract passive mentions you might otherwise miss. In short, keep sending press releases—just make sure they’re worth reading.
Source: Cision.
14. 26% of journalists explicitly ask for multimedia content in their pitches and with their press releases
More than one-fourth of journalists want multimedia with their pitches, up from 22% in 2022. What’s more, 36% of journalists said their ideal pitch includes multimedia assets such as images, videos, and infographics—and nearly one-third said this is one of the ways PR professionals provide value.
However, inclusion of multimedia assets in content is decreasing. Cision’s 2025 report found that 70% of journalists included images in their content in the past six months—down from 81% in 2022. Meanwhile, use of video declined from 47% to 25%, and use of infographics decreased from 41% to 30%. However, these are still the top three multimedia or data elements preferred by journalists:
When sending media to journalists, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
- Have high-resolution content: High-resolution videos and images are a must if you’re sending media.
- Link, don’t attach your files: Many emails with attachments get automatically deleted or don’t get through the spam filters.
- Make it accessible: Don’t make journalists sign up with their email to access your content.
Going by the list of most-used media formats, images might be the best way to get from an inbox to getting published.
As multimedia pitches and storytelling become more essential, the line between public relations and content marketing continues to blur. Journalists increasingly value visual and data-rich assets—the same ingredients that make branded content perform well online.
Source: Cision.
15. The percentage of journalists using social media to promote their content has tripled in the past 3 years
About 96% of journalists use social media for professional purposes, and its prevalence in their work is exploding. Cision’s 2025 report revealed 64% of journalists use social media to promote their content—a steep increase from 20% in 2022.
Likewise, 55% of journalists use social media to interact with their audience, compared to only 18% three years ago, and 51% use it to crowdsource information for stories, versus just 15% in 2022.
Approximately 59% of journalists use LinkedIn most frequently for professional purposes, making it the most popular social media platform among journalists. This is followed by Facebook at 53%. About 51% of journalists use Instagram most frequently, 39% use X (Twitter), 29% use YouTube, and 26% use WhatsApp.
Here’s a breakdown of the ways journalists used social media in 2025:
Source: Cision.
16. 85% of journalists say the best way to introduce yourself is over email
PR professionals who want to start building relationships with journalists should start with an email to introduce themselves and explain why they want to connect—whether or not they have a story to pitch right now.
About 38% of journalists welcome being contacted with new, relevant story ideas, and 33% appreciate being invited to industry events. Roughly one-fourth of journalists welcome new PR contacts via LinkedIn.
However, only 18% appreciate digital/physical press kits, 17% like being called on the phone, and 17% welcome new contacts over social media.
Source: Cision.
17. Half of journalists receive more than 50 pitches per week
About 50% of journalists receive over 50 pitches per week via email, phone, social media, and other channels. Roughly 27% receive 51 to 100, about 9% receive 101 to 150, and 13% receive more than 150!
Not only that, but the vast majority of journalists (73%) say a quarter or less of the pitches they receive are relevant to their target audience or media coverage sector, resulting in a healthy portion of emails being trashed.
18. 92% of journalists prefer not to be pitched on social media
While some journalists find it acceptable to be pitched on social media, 96% prefer that you stick with email pitches. In fact 17% of journalists would blacklist a PR professional for contacting them via social media when they’ve never met.
About 9% of journalists prefer WhatsApp, 7% prefer phone calls, and 4% like being contacted via text message. Be careful when choosing your platform of choice for pitching.
Source: Cision.
19. The fastest way to get blocked by a journalist is to spam them with irrelevant pitches
About 78% of journalists say repeatedly sending them pitches for stories that are outside their sector or audience is the best way to end up on a “don’t call” list.
Meanwhile, 59% of journalists would block a PR professional for sending pitches that sound like marketing brochures, 56% would blacklist them for providing inaccurate or unsourced information, and 52% would do the same for following up too frequently.
Roughly 62% of journalists prefer PR professionals to follow up only once, while 8% say it’s okay to follow up multiple times, and 30% never want follow-ups.
Other hated behaviors include dodging inquiries/lack of transparency, canceling at the last minute, failing to respond the same day or within deadline, addressing them by the wrong name, cold calling via social media, and attaching files to emails instead of embedding links.
Source: Cision.
20. 56% of journalists are opposed to PR pros using AI to generate pitches or press releases
While 29% of journalists are “somewhat opposed” to artificial intelligence (AI) in pitches, 27% would immediately disregard AI-generated content. About one-third of journalists don’t use AI tools like ChatGPT in their own work.
Meanwhile, 24% of journalists are neutral toward AI content, 16% are somewhat in favor, and 2% are strongly in favor of well-crafted AI-generated content.
The main concern is potential factual errors, with 72% of journalists skeptical of the veracity of AI content. Additionally:
- 58% of journalists worry about an increase in quantity over quality.
- 54% are concerned the content will lack authenticity or creativity.
- 48% are worried about copyright infringement and plagiarism accusations.
- 39% are wary of potential biases in AI content.
As PR technology develops, it’s important to remember the limitations of generative AI—not only in its capabilities but also the human response. If you’re partnering with an AI SEO agency to chase PR, make sure they keep this in mind.
Source: Cision.
PR outreach statistics
Outreach is our specialty, so we were able to provide some unique insight here.
21. The success rate of PR pitching is under 5%
This is an internal data point.
When we do our pitching, we usually land a 3-5% success rate. However, campaigns can fall short of expectations, especially if it’s the first campaign for a client, and land more in the 1-3% success rate range.
Future campaigns perform better because we have data from past campaigns to leverage during the next build.
Source: Ranko Media.
22. The average open rate of a cold email is 44%
If your cold emails are getting an open rate in the 40-50% range, you’re performing as expected.
However, 8% of cold email campaigns have an open rate of 80% or more, and approximately 33% of campaigns have a 60% open rate or more. So it’s not unheard of to get a 50% open rate for a high-performing campaign.
Source: QuickMail.
23. Approximately 50% of cold email campaigns have a reply rate of under 10%
This goes for PR, too. Most cold email campaigns should target a 10-15% reply rate, as pushing beyond that often yields diminishing returns.
However, if you have a small list of targets, going to the extreme on personalization and warming up your prospects can be important.
Source: QuickMail.
24. The average cost of a single successful placement in digital PR is over $1,000
As a digital PR agency, we have lots of data to pull from. Across all of our clients, the cost of generating a PR placement, with content, ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 per placement if your content asset doesn’t go viral.
Beyond brand exposure, quality earned media placements can also improve a company’s search engine rankings by increasing domain authority and generating trusted backlinks, one of the most valuable side effects of strong PR performance.
Source: Ranko Media.
25. There are no guarantees—or exact statistics—for going viral
There are no guarantees when it comes to viral content. Realistically, your content probably won’t go viral. And that’s okay.
Source: Forbes.
What These PR Statistics Reveal
These PR stats show that public relations is evolving, but not without challenges. Here are some key takeaways:
- The global public relations market continues to grow, with PR firms seeing opportunities in consultancy, technology, and strategic communication.
- Despite industry optimism, many PR experts report high stress and mental health strain caused by tight deadlines, client pressure, and unpredictable results.
- Journalists still value press releases and well-researched data, but most PR efforts miss the mark due to irrelevant or poorly targeted pitches.
- Earned media success depends on personalization—mass outreach and irrelevant content often lead to being blacklisted by media outlets.
- AI-generated pitches remain controversial, with most journalists preferring authentic, human-written communication.
- Pitching success rates under 5% underscore the need for precise targeting, clear metrics, and continuous refinement of PR strategy.
In 2026, PR is inseparable from digital marketing. Through strategic storytelling and multimedia outreach rooted in content marketing, brands are not only building credibility but also improving search ranking and SEO performance through earned media and backlinks.
If you’re looking to improve your outreach success and secure more earned media placements, our digital PR specialists can help you refine your PR campaigns and measure performance with high-quality, data-driven results.
