For a long time, I worked in media newsrooms. I learned in radio, grew up doing field reporting for television, and established myself on production sets. I covered economics, business, current affairs, and politics, always under deadline pressure and with the constant obligation to quickly understand what was happening in order to explain it to an audience that can be critical and, at times, unforgiving.
On the journalistic side of the media, the relationship with public relations is often tense. Journalists are bombarded daily with information from agencies, press officers, and communications teams, content that is often met with skepticism. More than once, we’ve heard PR described as the “dark side” of communications, or that while journalism seeks to uncover the truth, PR is simply a way of marketing a brand.
Not only that, there is also a widespread prejudice against journalists who consider moving into the world of PR. The feeling is that taking that step means abandoning the profession, as if one were leaving behind the skills learned in the newsroom. Many times, I saw it that way too.
That’s why I admit that entering the world of corporate communications was not something I had planned from the beginning. It wasn’t a carefully mapped transition, but rather a personal and professional 180-degree turn.
I had to admit something that isn’t easy to acknowledge at first: many of the prejudices I held about public relations were simply not true. Over time, I’ve realized that this view is far too simplistic. In reality, both worlds depend on each other much more than we tend to admit. And I don’t say that just because I’m now on this side of the fence. I say it because, when I was in the newsroom, I saw firsthand how the media industry has changed.
Newsrooms today produce more content than ever, but with fewer hands. Journalists no longer just investigate, they also film, edit, publish across multiple platforms, and often even track metrics. The news cycle is more frenetic than ever, and the space to go deep into stories has shrunk.
In that context, strategic communications and PR teams are beginning to play a different role. Rather than rivals, they can become allies. A key factor in getting a story published is ensuring it arrives at the newsroom well developed. And often, that work is no longer done within media organizations, but by communications teams. Research, context, trend analysis, data, and narrative building are frequently developed before a journalist even opens the attached document.
Since moving into the world of PR, I see this more clearly. Many of the stories that end up shaping public conversation don’t necessarily originate in the rush of the newsroom. They are often created in spaces where there is time to research, organize ideas, and build a meaningful narrative. At the end of the day, it’s about telling good stories, and for someone who comes from journalism, that sounds very familiar.
Journalists, for their part, need counterparts who understand how a newsroom works, who can explain complex topics clearly, who grasp how stories fit into the broader context, and who can move quickly. Journalism trains you precisely for that, identifying what truly matters in a story, asking the right questions, and explaining issues clearly. These are exactly the skills required in strategic communications.
It’s no surprise, then, that many journalists end up finding their place in the world of PR. They bring with them something that isn’t always taught in a manual, a deep understanding of what makes a story worth covering. They know that relevance, clarity, and timing are everything. They’re also used to absorbing large amounts of information, identifying patterns, and turning it all into a coherent narrative.
The further I go down this path, the more I realize that journalism doesn’t get left behind when you switch “sides.” On the contrary, it becomes one of the most valuable tools you can have. Today, I see journalism and public relations differently than I did when I worked in media. I no longer view them as opposing worlds, but as two professions within the same industry that, when they understand each other, complement one another.
And sometimes, to realize that, you have to be willing to sit on the other side of the table.
PR Consultant
