The pressure on communications teams is not new, but the combination of forces bearing down on the industry right now is unlike anything we have seen before. Fragmenting media, tightening budgets and the rapid mainstreaming of AI have all landed at once. The Inside PR 2026 report by Cision surveyed 561 PR professionals across the US and UK, and it offers a clear eyed look at how the industry is actually responding. Here is what stood out for us: 

The real challenge isn’t what teams say it is

Ask PR professionals what their biggest challenge is and 60% will say the changing media landscape, with 58% pointing to resource pressure. Ask them to name just one, and the answer shifts: 34% land on resource pressure, with media change dropping to 21%. The gap between those two answers is where the real story sits. Strategically, the industry talks about transformation, but the day-to-day reality is a conversation about time, budget and headcount that is not getting any easier.

Agility looks different depending on where you sit

57% of respondents describe their team as very or extremely agile, which sounds reassuring until you look more closely. Leaders tend to measure agility by their ability to make quick decisions. Managers and specialists are living a different reality: lengthy sign-off processes, no access to real-time data and team structures that were not built for the pace the industry now demands. That gap between perception and experience is worth taking seriously.

Brand awareness remains the priority, but commercial pressure is building

73% of respondents still cite brand awareness as their dominant objective, but the pressure to demonstrate commercial value is growing alongside it. 55% now prioritise sales and revenue through PR, and 50% are focused on measurement and proof of ROI. The teams that will navigate this well are those that can connect both: building reputation whilst making their contribution to business results visible and measurable.

AI is the biggest opportunity, but it is how you use it that counts

48% of respondents see AI and automation as the greatest opportunity for 2026, and adoption is already well underway. 73% are using generative AI for brainstorming, 68% for writing and refining content, and only 8% are avoiding it altogether. When almost every team is using the same technology, the advantage does not come from access. It comes from knowing what to do with the time it creates. Journalist relationships (39%) and strategic alignment remain just as important as ever, and that is unlikely to change.

Storytelling still sits at the top

Despite the pace of technological change, the core skills of PR have remained remarkably stable. 59% name storytelling and content creation as the most critical skill for 2026, ahead of media relations (44%), strategic planning (34%) and AI integration (33%). Technology changes the tools available, but it does not change the fundamental job. What the industry does need is a new kind of professional: someone who is strategically minded and data literate, as comfortable with technology as they are with crafting a compelling narrative.

The tools PR teams are prioritising

59% of respondents cite media monitoring and analysis as critical, followed by content creation tools (48%), media databases and relationship management (44%), and analytics and reporting dashboards (33%). Each one maps to a pressure point running through the report: efficiency, output, relationships and ROI. Having the right tools matters less than how well they are woven into the way decisions actually get made. Data creates the foundation, but judgement is what you build on top of it.

What the report tells us about where the industry is going

This is not a picture of an industry in trouble. It is a picture of one being asked to operate at a higher level than before. The bar for efficiency has risen and teams that have not streamlined their processes will feel that. Proving the commercial value of communications work is no longer optional. The technology is available to everyone. What is not evenly distributed is the judgement to use it well.