For most of the last century, getting your message out meant getting past a gatekeeper. An editor, a producer, a reporter with a notebook. If they said no, your story didn't get told.
That world is gone. The audience moved, and it isn't coming back. Social is the new media, and the businesses that act like it are the ones people hear from.
The audience already moved
In 2025, for the first time, more Americans got their news from social media and video platforms than from television. The Reuters Institute's Digital News Report found 54% of Americans used social and video networks for news, ahead of TV news at 50% and news websites and apps at 48% (Reuters Institute). The same report found that the share of Americans watching news video at least weekly climbed from 55% in 2021 to 72% in 2025, and most of that viewing happens on social platforms (Nieman Lab). The 2026 report moved the U.S. shares again: 56% now use social media for news, compared with 45% for TV and 45% for news websites (Reuters Institute).
Pew Research tells the same story from another angle. In its 2025 survey, 53% of U.S. adults said they get news from social media at least sometimes. Facebook (38%) and YouTube (35%) lead as places people regularly get news, with Instagram and TikTok each at 20% (Pew Research Center).
People didn't stop caring about what's happening. They just started watching it on their phones, from people they choose to follow.
The newsrooms shrank
While the audience moved, the old outlets got smaller. Northwestern's Medill State of Local News report found that 136 newspapers closed in the past year, more than two a week. Newspapers have lost more than three-quarters of their jobs since 2005 (Medill, Northwestern University). About 50 million Americans now live with limited or no access to local news.
Pittsburgh saw it up close
This isn't a far-off trend. The Post-Gazette was scheduled to close in the spring of 2026. The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a nonprofit, bought it and kept it publishing (Philadelphia Inquirer). The new owners, a Maryland nonprofit, then cut the newsroom to roughly half of its former size of about 100 people (90.5 WESA).
The paper is still publishing, and that's good news for the city. About half the newsroom is left to cover the same region.
So is press coverage worthless?
No, and we'd never tell you that. A story in a respected outlet still carries weight. It's proof that someone outside your company found you worth writing about. We wrote a whole guide on how to get covered by Pittsburgh media because it's still worth doing.
Here's the shift: press is the bonus, not the plan. A great article is a credibility clip you can share, pin, and quote. But the audience you want to reach is scrolling, not waiting on tomorrow's paper. If your whole strategy depends on a reporter saying yes, you're waiting on someone else's schedule.
Own your media
The good news is that the gate is open. You don't need a producer's permission to show up in front of your customers. You need a steady stream of real, useful video from the people who run your business.
That's what we mean by PR for the new age. Optimal Reach Media is a Pittsburgh production studio that comes to you, and we build that stream with you through video, podcasts, and media training so you look and sound like yourself on camera.
Practical steps to start this month
- Pick two platforms. Go where your customers already are. For many businesses, that means Facebook and YouTube, plus LinkedIn or Instagram.
- Batch your filming. One focused recording day can give you weeks of posts. It's far easier than trying to film something new every morning.
- Answer real questions. Write down the ten things customers ask you most. Each answer is a short video.
- Start a conversation series. A podcast or recurring interview gives you long-form content you can cut into short clips.
- Post on a schedule. Consistency beats polish. A steady rhythm builds an audience that expects to hear from you.
- Use press as fuel. When you do get coverage, share it, clip it, and talk about it on your own channels. That's where it does the most good.
Where we can help
Our One Day Shoot is built for exactly this. We spend one full day filming with you, with a coach on set, and cut it into about 30 short clips, roughly a month of daily posts. If you'd rather build an audience through long conversations, our podcast team handles the filming and editing so you can focus on the talk.
The audience is already on social. The only question is whether they'll find you there.
Frequently asked questions
Is traditional media dead?
As the main way to reach people, it's fading fast. In 2026, the Reuters Institute found 56% of Americans use social media for news, compared with 45% for TV and 45% for news websites. That follows 2025, the first year more Americans got news from social and video platforms (54%) than from TV (50%) or news websites (48%). TV, papers, and radio still exist and still carry weight, but they are no longer where most of your audience spends its time.
Is social media better than PR?
They do different jobs. Social is how you reach your audience every week, on your own schedule. Earned press is a credibility boost: a story you can share, link to, and point to. The strongest plan uses social as the main channel and treats press coverage as a bonus that makes your own content more believable.
Where do most people get their news now?
Increasingly on their phones. Pew Research found in 2025 that 53% of U.S. adults get news from social media at least sometimes. Facebook (38%) and YouTube (35%) lead as places people regularly get news, with Instagram and TikTok each at 20%. Reuters found that 72% of Americans watched news video at least weekly in 2025, and most of that viewing was on social platforms.
Do businesses still need press coverage?
It still helps. A story in a respected outlet builds trust and gives you something worth sharing. But newspapers have lost more than three-quarters of their jobs since 2005, so you can't count on coverage. Treat it as a bonus and build your own steady stream of video and podcast content as the base.
How can a small business create its own media?
Start with one recording session that captures many short clips, pick two platforms where your customers already spend time, and post on a steady schedule. A podcast or recurring interview series gives you long conversations you can cut into weeks of posts.
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Where to go from here
We are a Pittsburgh production studio, and we come to you. If you want to keep going, start with the work, a call, or the free brand audit.