A new report has found 90% of press releases are ignored by journalists because they are not newsworthy.

The survey of 30 social news journalists, from outlets including The Metro, LADbible and The Telegraph, found that 40% would prefer ‘page-ready’ copy.

Conducted by Taylor Herring, the report The News is Dead; Long Live the News highlighted that the PR industry is “failing” to keep pace with changes to the modern news environment.

It revealed that 23% of news brands say social news channels will be the main focus for the year ahead, but PR is ”struggling to keep pace” as 57% of journalists say they are rarely supplied multimedia assets that will work for social platforms such as TikTok, Snap or Instagram.

Jack Peat, head of newsroom at Taylor Herring, said: “There’s a growing disconnect between what PR teams are producing and what social newsrooms actually need.

“If the PR industry wants to remain relevant, it needs to move faster, think more visually, and provide assets that will help publications stop the scroll.”

The report also found that only 3% of journalists would welcome a phone call from a PR to pitch a story. But, if the story was “great” or an exclusive, 47% would be happy to take the call.

Additionally, only 10% would like a WhatsApp message from a PR, rising to 30% for a “great” or exclusive scoop.

Peat added: "There’s a real opportunity here for PRs who are willing to adapt. Editors are clearly open to collaboration – they just need stories that are tailored to their platforms, and pitched in the right way. That means rethinking everything from format and tone to timing and delivery method."

Download the full The News is Dead; Long Live the News report