Staff reductions. Eroding trust. Economic headwinds. These are the headlines dominating discussions about journalism today. They paint a picture of an industry in decline — a narrative many have accepted without question. 

But this doom-and-gloom perspective misses half the story. While challenges exist, journalism remains a robust and credible communications vehicle, particularly among the stakeholders professional services firms seek to influence. 

The media landscape isn’t dying. But it is transforming. And creating new opportunities for professional services firms ready to stake their positions of authority. Following are the key trends driving the news industry’s evolution — and how you can leverage them to enhance your firm’s position of authority. 

Journalism’s Reality is More Nuanced Than Headlines Suggest

The Poynter Institute’s 2024 report on trends in the journalism and news industry offers a refreshing counterpoint to the prevailing narrative of journalistic extinction. It reveals a landscape in which innovation drives new opportunities. From small, digital-first startups to AI-driven workflows and alternative content distribution platforms, the report suggests the future of journalism may be more dynamic and diverse than what many suggest.

Hundreds of news or niche information sites have launched in recent years. Many are independent, while others represent new offerings from existing companies. At the same time, an influx of independent content creators (fueled by self-publishing platforms like Substack) is democratizing the news by telling important stories that were once the sole domain of journalists. 

Success stories attesting to the vitality of the news industry abound but rarely make headlines:

• When the recently established Baltimore Banner newspaper celebrated its two-year anniversary this spring, it was flourishing — meeting its subscription goals, growing its newsroom to 80 journalists, and announcing plans to increase investment in education coverage. 
• Over the past three years, small nonprofit newsrooms like the Invisible Institute, Mississippi Today, and the Better Government Association have won Pulitzer Prizes for local news coverage.
• Public radio and TV stations in 74 local markets successfully expanded their digital audiences beyond traditional broadcasting, with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting now extending this initiative to 225 markets.

These examples underscore a critical truth. Audiences’ appetite for trustworthy news and information remains strong. But capturing that audience requires high-quality, fact-based reporting delivered through innovative formats. The news organizations succeeding today have widened their perspective on how to serve audiences beyond traditional content approaches.

From a PR perspective, the Poynter findings reveal abundant opportunities in both traditional and emerging media channels. These insights allow strategic communicators to connect professional services firms with key stakeholders through earned media placements that transform expert commentary into tangible business development opportunities.

The Trump Effect

As traditional outlets face reduced access to White House briefings and other governmental sources, they seek authoritative voices to analyze and contextualize fast-moving executive orders, policy changes, and other developments.

This dynamic creates openings for professional services firms to position their experts (especially those with legal and regulatory expertise) as valuable resources who can fill the gap for journalists. 

Simultaneously, the current administration has broadened press credential access to include influencers and podcasters, signaling a shift beyond traditional media. In this context, your firm can gain new opportunities to share your expertise and reach target audiences through emerging platforms.

In a dynamic media landscape made more tumultuous by the current administration, professional services firms stand to add meaningful perspectives to daily news conversations that shape industry understanding.

Niche Media’s Rise: Precision Targeting for Earned Media

While many major news outlets continue to struggle with business model challenges, niche publications focused on specific industries or executive audiences are thriving. This trend toward specialization is especially intriguing for professional services firms, who have the opportunity to capture precision-targeted earned media opportunities.

Industry Dive exemplifies this success, launching eight new industry publications in 2023 alone. Their focused approach earned them recognition on Fast Company‘s list of the world’s most innovative companies of 2024.

Similarly, publishers are developing new content channels that specifically target C-suite executives. Consider Semafor’s invitation-only newsletter, The CEO Signal, which is exclusively available to leaders of companies with more than $500 million in annual revenue.

This trend aligns perfectly with findings from Greentarget’s 2025 State of Digital & Content Marketing research. Our annual survey revealed that 88% of legal and C-suite decision makers value traditional media — the highest score in seven years. Executives continue to rely on editorially vetted content from trusted sources for business intelligence.

The growing list of niche outlets provides professional services firms unprecedented opportunities to reach specific stakeholders with tailored perspectives, allowing you to establish authority with the exact audiences you seek to influence.

Navigating Visibility and Referral Challenges

The way audiences discover information is fundamentally changing — and it’s posing new obstacles for media outlets. 

This is primarily due to two factors. First, AI-generated answers are crowding out organic search results and heralding a new era of zero-click search. 

Second, social media platforms are focusing more heavily on video and other proprietary formats in an effort to keep users on-platform, meaning they are deprioritizing the external links that drive audiences to external media outlets. As a result, according to Reuters Institute’s research, traffic referrals from social platforms have plummeted. Over the past two years, traffic from Facebook to news and media properties has declined by two-thirds (67%), while traffic from X is down by half (50%).

Media outlets are responding to these twin challenges by forming new partnerships with AI companies to protect their visibility. For instance, OpenAI has entered a licensing arrangement with News Corp — which owns The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, The Times, and The Sun — reportedly worth around $250m over five years. Reuters, the AP, Financial Times, and Le Monde have also agreed to significant deals. 

In order to continue reaching their key audiences, professional services firms must adapt their own content strategies in light of these trends. The key concept is COPE — Create Once, Publish Everywhere:

1. Maximize owned content with in-depth thought leadership that showcases true authority
2. Leverage this content to secure earned media opportunities with journalists
3. Broadcast and share on social channels, especially LinkedIn
4. Use paid amplification for top-performing content 

This approach ensures content reaches decision-makers regardless of how AI reshapes search and social media shapes referrals, allowing firms to build direct relationships with their audience while maintaining visibility in trusted publications.

The Path Forward

The truth about journalism in 2025 defies simple characterization. While structural challenges persist, opportunities abound for those willing to engage strategically with a transformed media landscape.

Professional services firms that understand these dynamics can position their experts as true authorities and find a ready audience with journalists, content creators, and the professionals they seek to influence. 

The media remains a vital channel for professional services expertise — not in spite of current challenges, but because those challenges are reshaping journalism into something more nimble, targeted, and audience-focused than ever before.