The 3 Things That Will Never Get Old in PR

The PR industry is always changing.

When I started my career in a NYC newsroom, we had dot-matrix printers spitting out AP wire copy, fax machines spewing news releases from city hall and reel to reel tape.

Today, AI researches and writes pitch letters, social media algorithms decide what goes viral, and media outlets are contracting the way I wish my waistline would.

But for all the change, there are three fundamentals of public relations that will never go out of style.

1. Relationships

At its core, PR is about people. Relationships with journalists, producers, influencers, clients, colleagues — they all matter. You can send the perfect pitch with the perfect subject line, but if the person on the other end doesn’t know you — or worse, doesn’t trust you — it’s probably going in the trash.

Relationships take time. They’re built through consistent, respectful contact — by being helpful, responsive, and understanding what your media contacts actually need to do their jobs.

A good relationship won’t guarantee coverage, but it will guarantee that your email gets opened. And that’s the first step to success.

2. Storytelling

You can automate distribution. You can optimize for SEO. But you cannot automate emotion.

Storytelling is the soul of PR. It’s the difference between an announcement that gets ignored and a story that gets shared.

Whether it’s a business success, a nonprofit campaign, or a new initiative — the key question is always: why should anyone care?

The answer is almost always in the story behind the story. The human impact. The emotional hook. The part that makes someone stop scrolling, lean in, and want to know more.

A great story will always beat a slick pitch. Every time.

3. Showing Up

PR isn’t just emails and social posts. It’s also about being there.

At the media event. At the ribbon-cutting. On the phone with the client. In the trenches when something goes wrong.

You can’t outsource showing up. You can’t phone in presence.

Being physically present — to troubleshoot, to encourage, to represent — shows professionalism, commitment, and leadership. It earns trust with reporters, credibility with clients, and results for your brand or organization.

Presence matters. Always has. Always will.

The Bottom Line

Trends come and go. Tools change. Platforms rise and fall.

But if you can build real relationships, tell powerful stories, and show up when it counts — you’ll be successful in PR no matter what the landscape looks like.

Master these, and you’ll stay relevant no matter what the next shiny thing is.