Media Relations in an Age of Distrust – The New Playbook for Business Leaders
How today’s media values have shifted, and how business leaders and communicators can earn meaningful coverage in 2025.
Visibility – sought after, scrutinised, and harder to earn than ever
In a media landscape transformed by shrinking newsrooms, algorithm-driven feeds, and increasingly sceptical audiences, visibility remains a top priority - but is also the most misunderstood. The old formula of mass pitching and volume-based outreach belongs to a media environment that no longer exists. Business leaders and their communications teams face unprecedented pressure to be not just seen, but trusted and verifiable.
Today’s defining question is no longer: “How do we get journalists to notice us?” Instead, it’s: “How do we become easy to find, credible, and truly worth covering?”
Access is not enough – alignment and credibility are now everything
In this era of distrust, successful media relations is less about who you know, and more about aligning your public signals, values, and expertise with genuine credibility. It’s about what you stand for, what you consistently deliver, and how your digital presence backs it up.
Volume is out. Substance and “pull” are in.
Traditionally, PR meant push: press releases, rapid-fire statements, and chasing coverage through relentless outreach. But today, journalists—facing overflowing inboxes, limited fact-checking resources, and relentless deadlines—are seeking sources they can trust without effort or risk.
The experts who get coverage now aren’t the loudest, but those who are:
Clear - easy to understand, with a defined area of expertise.
Substantive - providing insights that go beyond buzzwords.
Consistent -showing alignment across words, actions, social profiles, and past commentary.
Responsive - respecting journalist deadlines with fast, helpful answers.
Independent - demonstrating analysis beyond their own agenda.
Digital signals and reputation – the new currency of visibility
Findability is now driven by multi-channel discovery - across LinkedIn activity, Google search results, long-form posts, previous expert quotes, third-party recommendations, and even AI-powered research tools. Emerging technology is constantly scanning for patterns of reliability, eliminating performative experts and elevating those with verifiable credibility.
Where journalists now look for sources:
LinkedIn profiles and engagement
High-quality search results showcasing consistency and credibility
Thoughtful long-form content and expert commentary
Past quotes that demonstrate handling of nuanced topics
Peer, analyst, and advisor recommendations
AI tools that surface trustworthy experts based on digital footprints
Relationships built on trust, not transaction
Network lunches and friendly emails have given way to quiet professionalism. The strongest relationships form not from frequency of contact, but from integrity—leaders who understand journalistic pressures, answer tough questions honestly, and deliver what they promise every time.
Reputation – foundation, not wrapping
In this climate, reputation is not the marketing gloss over a message; it is the bedrock beneath it. Newsworthiness is measured less by performative claims and more by the authentic alignment between a leader’s public signals and their organization’s culture, brand, and real-world behaviour.
How leaders can become easier to discover
Define what you and your business stand for with clarity - digitally and in person. Build an active, authentic digital footprint before you seek attention. Demonstrate expertise through consistent language, credible commentary, and transparency. Show up for journalists in ways that make their work simpler - fast responses, honest insights, and prepared answers for difficult questions.
Findability is the new influence
In 2025 and beyond, visibility is earned not through volume, but through credibility that is easily discovered, quickly checked, and continually proven. The most influential leaders will be the ones who are brief-able, quotable, and reliable - making journalistic trust effortless.
Because when your reputation speaks for itself, you don’t have to shout to be found.