Disinformation and Funding Concerns Dominate Journalists’ Worries in 2025 Muck Rack Report
The journalism landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, grappling with challenges ranging from the proliferation of disinformation to the evolving role of social media. Muck Rack’s "State of Journalism 2025" report, based on a survey of over 1,500 journalists across the U.S., UK, Canada, and India, provides a snapshot of these evolving dynamics. The report highlights the growing anxieties surrounding disinformation, the declining importance of social media platforms, and the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in newsrooms. These findings paint a picture of a profession navigating a complex and rapidly changing media ecosystem.
Disinformation emerges as the most pressing concern, with 36% of journalists identifying it as the most serious threat to the future of journalism. Public trust in media, coupled with persistent funding challenges, are also major concerns, each cited by 28% of respondents. The politicization and polarization of news, along with government interference in press freedom, further compound these anxieties, garnering 25% and 23% of responses respectively. These findings underscore the vulnerability of journalism in an era of heightened information warfare and political pressures.
Social media’s influence on journalism appears to be waning. Only 23% of respondents now consider social media "very important," a significant drop from 33% the previous year. This shift suggests a growing awareness of the drawbacks of relying on these platforms for sourcing and inspiration. While social media may still play a role in distribution and audience engagement, journalists are increasingly recognizing the need to diversify their newsgathering strategies and reduce their dependence on these platforms. The decline in perceived importance of social media could be attributed to a variety of factors, including the prevalence of misinformation, algorithm-driven content filtering, and the volatile nature of online discourse.
The landscape of social media preference is also shifting. Facebook has emerged as the most valuable platform for journalists, with 27% of respondents ranking it highest, surpassing X (formerly Twitter), which saw a significant drop from 36% the previous year to 21% in 2025. This shift may reflect changes in platform algorithms, user demographics, and content moderation policies. Interestingly, X also leads in terms of reduced time spent by journalists, with 41% reporting a decrease in usage. LinkedIn stands out as the most trusted platform for fair treatment of journalistic content (60%), while X is viewed as the least trustworthy (72%). This reinforces the increasing skepticism towards X’s handling of news and information.
The integration of AI tools into journalistic practices is rapidly accelerating. A striking 77% of journalists report using AI tools in their work during the past year. ChatGPT leads in usage at 42%, closely followed by transcription tools (40%) and writing tools (35%). This widespread adoption of AI underscores the growing recognition of its potential to enhance efficiency and productivity in newsrooms. However, ethical considerations surrounding AI usage, particularly concerning bias, accuracy, and transparency, warrant careful attention as these technologies become further embedded in journalistic workflows.
Public relations continues to play a significant role in shaping news coverage. The vast majority of journalists (84%) acknowledge that PR professionals inspire at least some of their stories, indicating the enduring symbiotic relationship between these two professions. However, relevance remains paramount, with 86% of journalists discarding pitches that are not pertinent to their beat. A significant portion of journalistic output originates from PR pitches, with 49% of journalists stating that 1-10% of their stories stem from such sources, and another 20% attributing 11-25% of their work to PR.
The report also highlights the growing trend of journalists embracing self-publishing platforms. A third of respondents (34%) publish their work independently outside traditional newsrooms, and a majority (61%) generate income from these self-published endeavors. This trend reflects a growing desire for greater autonomy and control over content creation and distribution. Self-publishing offers journalists opportunities to explore niche topics, experiment with different formats, and build direct relationships with their audiences, potentially supplementing or even replacing traditional media employment. This development signifies a diversification of the media landscape, with individual journalists increasingly carving out their own spaces within the broader ecosystem.