Key findings from the 2026 State of Media Intelligence Report
PR and communications teams are producing more media intelligence than ever. More frequently, for more stakeholders, across more formats. But are those briefings actually landing?
Here’s a statistic worth considering: 67.9% of PR and communications professionals spend over an hour preparing a typical media briefing. Yet more than half of the stakeholders receiving those briefings spend 10 minutes or less reading them, and 6.5% don’t read them at all.
That gap isn’t just frustrating. It’s a signal that how we create and deliver media intelligence needs to evolve.
We surveyed nearly 300 communications professionals and internal stakeholders to find out. The results, published in the 2026 State of Media Intelligence Report, paint a clear picture: media intelligence is evolving rapidly, and successful PR and communications teams are those that will adapt to these changes.
Here are a few findings that stood out.
The biggest challenge? Cutting through the noise
When asked about their top obstacles:
- 28.4% of respondents cited filtering noise from meaningful insights as their primary challenge
- 25.6% highlighted the time it takes to prepare briefings
- 13.1% cited tailoring content for different stakeholders
These aren’t new problems, but they’re becoming more severe as media volume grows and stakeholders expect real-time intelligence that is tailored to their roles and functions.
Stakeholders expect actionable insights
PR teams are largely delivering the right types of content. Brand reputation and sentiment (81%), competitive intelligence (49%), and industry updates (43%) are the most commonly shared types of insights, and stakeholders confirmed these are exactly what they find most valuable.
However, qualitative feedback highlights room for improvement in format, clarity, and speed. Stakeholders show a growing appetite for visual content, including video explainers and infographics, real-time dashboards, and personalized insights.
PR has embraced AI – and it’s working
AI is not an afterthought in 2026, but a core component of PR strategy. More than half (52.6%) of respondents are already using AI in their media intelligence workflows, with another 15.3% actively piloting tools. The top three capabilities AI-driven PR teams utilize most include:
- Summarizing long articles
- Automating first drafts, and
- Generating executive-ready bullet points
The results are showing up in real workflows. Practitioners report faster turnaround times, greater capacity for strategic thinking, and improved ability to spot emerging issues earlier.
Stakeholders are keeping pace: 64.5% already receive AI-generated content in briefings, and 38.4% actively use AI-generated insights to inform decisions.
The shift from reporting to advising
The dominant theme across the entire survey was that media intelligence is no longer just a monitoring function. As one respondent put it, AI is helping turn it “from a reporting function into a strategic advisory capability.”
Teams that embrace that shift, streamlining how they communicate insights and tailoring intelligence to the people who need it, will be the ones that make the biggest impact in 2026.
Ready to benchmark your media intelligence workflow against nearly 300 of your peers?
The full 2026 State of Media Intelligence Report covers AI adoption trends, stakeholder consumption habits, format preferences, and practical guidance to transform your reporting frameworks for success.
Download the full report here.
