In all my career, I’ve never seen as much change across the media landscape and in the way that information is shared and consumed, as we’ve seen in the last 12 months.
The pace, the scale, the knock-on effects – it’s been relentless. And for PR leaders running European programmes, the implications are hard to ignore.
What we’re seeing now isn’t just another cycle of media disruption. It feels like a deeper reset in where influence sits, who audiences believe, and what brands need to do to earn trust and credibility.
Tyto’s Tech 500 captured this change clearly. Influence is no longer concentrated solely within institutions; it’s increasingly commanded by individuals with platforms and audiences of their own. CEO‑podcasters, journalist‑creators and newsletter editors – what we call “multi‑hyphenate influencers” – are building large audiences across multiple platforms and increasingly rivalling established media outlets for reach and relevance.
At the same time, AI is fundamentally changing the way information is accessed and interpreted, raising new questions about how we establish what’s true and what’s false.
As we look ahead to 2026, I’ve spent time speaking with senior communications leaders and Tyto clients about how these trends are affecting our industry and reshaping their approach to managing multi-market PR in Europe.
Two key themes shone through: trust and transparency and an increasingly complex media and influence landscape, shaped by new voices and digital platforms.
In the age of AI, trust and transparency matter more than ever
AI-generated content is flooding online platforms. Synthetic media, hallucinations, and misinformation are steadily corroding people’s trust in what they see and hear online.
That’s putting unprecedented pressure on communications teams.
Audiences are no longer just looking for news and insight, they are searching for context, explanation and reassurance in an environment that often feels opaque and unreliable.
Sarah Vasquez, Head of Executive Communications at Mozilla, told me that today’s debates about trust and technology could have a profound impact on digital communications for years to come, “Our job as communicators is to help organizations lead with clarity, explaining how systems work, why decisions are made, and what users should expect.”
She predicts that “In 2026, transparency will become a defining part of modern reputation management, and digital literacy will increasingly fall within our remit. Brands will need to help people understand where AI answers come from and how to assess them. That will be essential to earning and maintaining trust in the years ahead.”
For PR leaders, this goes beyond messaging. It means helping executives explain not just what they’re doing, but how and why. And it means equipping audiences to judge credibility in a world where the source of information isn’t always obvious – a theme we explored further in our recent Web Summit blog on PR’s role in safeguarding truth.
Shayna Chapel, Director of Global Communications at OutSystems, has a similar view on how to respond to fake news and AI-generated content. She says “A human-centric approach to communications is the only way to safeguard reputation. From building trust with media contacts to earning customer trust, this is the new currency for PR pros.”
The implication is clear. As automation accelerates, human credibility becomes more valuable, not less. Organisations that invest in authentic relationships and values‑led communication will stand out. Those that don’t risk seeing the trust gap widen.
A media landscape shaped by personalities as well as publications
Predictions about the death of the media have been circulating for as long as I can remember, but the reality is far more nuanced.
Thankfully a mass extinction event doesn’t look likely, but the commercial pressures that publishers are facing are very real. Changes in consumption habits are forcing publishers to innovate – experimenting with new formats, business models and ways of engaging audiences.
What we’re seeing across Europe – and in this year’s Tech 500 – is that audiences are now consuming content from a broader range of sources. From established media outlets to newsletters, podcasts, Substack, and LinkedIn thought leadership.
Crucially, these new channels aren’t replacing the media, but rather they are complementing it, adding depth, niche expertise, and more direct engagement.
Many of the most influential voices in Tyto’s Tech 500 exemplify this trend, acting as journalists or business leaders, and as podcasters or YouTubers. For PR teams, this challenges long-held assumptions about how influence works and who really shapes opinion. And creates all kinds of questions about how to effectively engage them.
It’s something that has caught the attention of OutSystems’ Shayna Chapel who says that the media landscape is shifting, with some influential individuals now holding the kind of authority that was one reserved for ‘tier one’ publications.
She reflects: “In 2025 we saw a wave of traditional tech and business reporters begin building their own Substack, podcast, or newsletter. These creators have higher engagement, more targeted audiences, and often more trust than legacy outlets. In 2026, PR teams must treat top tech writers, Substack authors, and industry podcasters with the same weight as major publications.”
And this isn’t just a European phenomenon. As we noted in the Tech 500 this year, the US has been moving in the same direction for some time, with influential voices now a central part of the communications strategy for Big Tech firms and the White House.
With the landscape changing dramatically, Edward Stevenson, EMEA Communications Lead at Wasabi, predicts that more journalists will focus on extending and monetising their reach through personal platforms and their own ventures in the new year. He says, “More European journalists will enhance their personal brand through the medium of newsletters,” following in the footsteps of reporters such as Alys Keys, Mike Butcher, Antony Adshead and Chris Mellor who are building their own ventures.
This isn’t journalism in retreat – it’s journalism expanding and evolving.
Reporters will still play an important role contributing to established outlets while cultivating deeper, more interactive relationships with audiences through new formats and channels.
The rise of “journalists as brands” and “multi-hyphenate influencers” adds another layer of complexity for PR teams tasked with engaging individuals who may work across several formats, each with different needs and expectations. Something I shared a few thoughts on recently.
What are the implications for PR leaders in 2026?
All this means that 2026 will demand a new blend of skills and strategies.
Communications leaders will need to balance established outlets with individual influence, support executives in building authentic platforms, and rethink media engagement for a world where journalists are also creators, commentators and community builders.
Above all, it will require a sharper focus on clarity – explaining not just what organisations are doing, but how and why, in ways that stand up to scrutiny.
As trust becomes scarcer and influence fragments, the communications profession will play a crucial role in helping organisations navigate this complexity with confidence. Done well, this is a moment of opportunity.
Brands who embrace authenticity, invest in human relationships and adapt to a more layered media ecosystem will be better placed to thrive in a transformed, but far from diminished, media and influence landscape.
About the author
Rebeeca Donnelly is Managing Director of Client Services at Tyto. Rebecca has 15 years’ PR and communications experience, combining global strategic expertise with a strong track-record in delivering high-impact consumer and corporate campaigns.