PR News: What Meltwater’s State of PR Report reveals for PR professionals

Meltwater’s State of PR report, developed in partnership with We. Communications was recently featured by PR News, highlighting how modern PR teams are evolving – and where they’re being held back. Based on insights from more than 1,100 PR and communications professionals worldwide, the report offers a clear snapshot of the industry’s current reality.

Read the full article here: PR News – PR Roundup: Dr Pepper Goes Viral as PR Faces a Reality Check

Key Takeaways from the State of PR report:

• AI is becoming essential to modern PR: 90% of teams are already leveraging AI to work smarter, not harder. AI helps save time, uncover insights faster, and reduce reactive work, enabling PR to move beyond activity tracking and clearly show strategic value.
• Resources remain a constraint: Tight budgets and limited team size continue to be top challenges as half of teams surveyed have fewer than five members, and most expect budgets to stay flat in 2026.
• PR responsibilities are expanding: While earned media remains central, nearly half of teams now manage social channels and a third oversee influencer programs, showing PR’s growing influence across channels.
• Measurement is lagging behind expectations: Activity-based metrics still dominate, but leadership expects clearer proof of impact. Teams are shifting to outcome-driven metrics that tie communications efforts to business objectives.

"The findings are meant to serve as both a benchmark and a roadmap, helping PR leaders refine strategy, metrics, and AI adoption so they can demonstrate the impact of their work more clearly and earn a seat at the table," said Kelly Costello, Head of Corporate Communications at Meltwater.

Meltwater is a global leader in media, social, and consumer intelligence, helping over 27,000 brands worldwide understand and shape their stories across media, social and LLM environments. Learn more about Meltwater.