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Along with the start of a cozy fall, September has felt like a month of reckoning. Giving their financial spreadsheets a hard look, journalists are recognizing the need to get serious about diversifying their income streams. Editors are inundated and can’t spend every working hour answering emails, though pitch volumes could easily require it.

Meanwhile, PR pros are coming to terms with the fact that in some areas, especially travel, earned media placements are getting more difficult, as systems that have held up the industry struggle. There are some bright spots; but having a clear strategy is becoming more important than ever. Here’s what I’m seeing and keeping my eye on right now.

Guest lists matter as much as the itinerary.

Press trips are a fiery topic right now, and for good reason: Everyone’s grappling with money. Destinations, hotels and resorts are spending an insane amount to host journalists, who need every expense to be covered given low rates for travel journalism.

And it’s all getting harder to justify. Confirmed coverage rarely exists; it’s taking longer for journalists to land stories with top outlets; and PR is caught in the middle. But, a desirable mix of travel companions are becoming a selling point for press trips.

One thing PR can do to make it easier for journalists to say yes to an invitation: Tell journalists in the invite who else is coming. Get to know who is friends with one another, and invite them together—the promise of a fun experience together is a bonus for going on a reporting trip, says journalist Dan Howarth. Other journalists have echoed this sentiment to me recently. (I also wrote about this friends approach, and six other ideas for press trip organization, last year.) Of course, it also has to make sense for everyone editorially.

Beyond the relationship aspect, it’s also helpful for journalists to know that PR pros haven’t invited several other freelancers who pitch to the same outlets, which could turn the trip competitive before anyone even boards a flight.

Why it matters: A press trip invitation should help journalists assess the whole opportunity, including who else is going. Share the guest list when you can, consider existing relationships and avoid inviting several freelancers who would be competing to pitch the same story to the same outlets.

Follow-ups to editor announcements are a missed opportunity.

Announcing a new editor role on LinkedIn now means starting your job with a barrage of emails—which could be good or terrifying, depending on what your role entails.

When Madeline Bilis announced early this spring that she was writing a new travel newsletter for Forbes Vetted, she was inundated with responses. Once she made it through the initial overwhelm, though, Madeline says she received very few follow-ups, and now, she welcomes more PR to pitch her ideas.

This one-time spike followed by months of quiet is happening for other editors, too, I’d imagine, and it’s worth adapting your strategy around it.

Just last week, more than 300 people liked Adam Dolge’s post about becoming EatingWell’s new food editor, and Justin Goldman’s post about his new senior editor job at Afar got more than 700 engagements. It’s nice to say hello and congratulate now, but perhaps the smarter move is to check in a few months later and follow up with a well-targeted pitch.

Why it matters: A new job announcement is a chance to learn what an editor will cover, not a deadline to get into their inbox. Congratulate them if you have a relationship, pay attention as their role takes shape and return a bit later with an idea that fits them well.

Journalists are turning their skillsets into marketable businesses.

This month’s candid discussion on Pitchcraft about freelance rates, with guest panelists Tim Herrera and Samantha Leal and about 40 freelance writers, uncovered a hard truth: It’s unlikely that a freelance journalist can make a decent living on journalism alone these days. Tim estimated that, among the thousands of freelancers he’s worked with over his career (including six years as an editor at The New York Times), only a few dozen earn their income entirely from journalism. 

Rates have largely remained unchanged over at least the past decade (with average rates around $0.50/word, but varying widely, according to journalists on our call), and well-paying assignments are harder to come by.

For journalists, this means diversification has shifted from “nice” to mission critical in 2026. Nearly all of the journalists in our session shared that they supplement their journalism income with other work, from branded content to copywriting to video and event production.

Taking it a step further, some journalists are launching new businesses built around the skillsets and expertise they’ve developed through journalism work, and I think they’re brilliant. Case in point: Lauren Harano, who’s worked as a writer and editor for nearly a decade and recently launched Sense Of Edit, an independent hotel consultancy with an editorial lens.

Why it matters: For writers, consider what skills and subject knowledge you’ve built that could support another income stream. For PR pros, get to know the full scope of a journalist’s work rather than assuming earned media is the only way to collaborate.

PR pros are warming up to Substack, but the burden of proof still lies with authors.

There’s no doubt that independent journalists building a brand on Substack, either as a full-time gig or a side project, are becoming increasingly influential in lifestyle media. For one, they tend to have strong trust from their audience, and many also reach a more niche demographic than traditional magazines (take Haskell Harris’s Gander or Jenna O’Brien’s Feeling Magazine, for example). Yet I still hear over and over from writers that few PR pros are pitching them specifically for Substack coverage.

Substacks are relatively easy to review aesthetically and anecdotally, but they lack the built-in institutional authority of traditional publishers. This means Substack authors need to be creating some kind of proof that their audience exists, that their work is credible and that they have longevity.

I’ve seen some creators publish media kits that are available upon request (like blogger Alyssa Nelson, who has an excellent one for Wayward covering UVMs, demographics, social reach, past brand partners and testimonials), but I do believe it’s time we start seeing these published within the Substack itself, like on the About page. Audience size and demographics matter, but details like key topics, engagement rates, and any actions the newsletter has inspired could prove useful to PR pros researching opportunities for clients.

Why it matters: PR pros should evaluate independent newsletters for audience fit and engagement, just as they would any other media opportunity. Newsletter authors can make that easier by sharing their core topics, readership, engagement and examples of the response their work has prompted.

Food maximalism is having a moment.

To close things out on a lighter note, some table talk. Editorially, we’re seeing a lot of fun pantry awards lately (like Bon Appetit’s and The Kitchn’s), but also a resurgence of less-common F&B that are attracting attention and very worth pitching around right now.

From lobster vodka to taco cooking oil to shiitake butter and $40 tomatoes, highly specific foods that actually aren’t for everyone are among the culinary angles heating up this fall. For PR pros pitching products or restaurant offerings, the key to landing stories around these unique items is connecting with journalists who’d personally enjoy them.

This means getting to know the people behind the bylines, through in-person meetups (grabbing coffee while you’re in town, or introducing them to your bar/restaurant client by meeting there), following along on social media to see what they’re posting about in their down time, and getting to know their, ahem, personal taste. Build relationships, not lists: I say it over and over again, but it’s worth repeating, and helps you to stand out in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Why it matters: An unusual product alone isn’t a story. Find the journalist whose tastes and coverage make it genuinely relevant, then pitch the specific angle they might enjoy exploring. Knowing the person behind the byline matters more than adding another name to a food media list.

What media shifts are you noticing?

Every month, the Pitchcraft team analyzes journalist conversations, media requests and industry developments to identify the signals shaping earned media. If you’re seeing something we missed, we’d love to hear from you. Want to check out last month’s Media Signals? Read it here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the biggest media trends affecting PR professionals in September 2026?

This month’s trends point to more scrutiny around press trip costs and guest lists, opportunities to reconnect with editors after the rush of a new job announcement, journalists diversifying their income, growing interest in independent newsletters and editorial attention on unusually specific food products.

How can PR pros make press trip invitations more appealing to journalists?

Explain the editorial opportunity clearly and share who else is attending when possible. Consider whether the group would make for a good reporting experience, including whether multiple freelancers would be competing to pitch similar stories to the same outlets. A great group is a bonus; each invitation still needs to make editorial sense.

What should PR pros look for when considering Substack coverage?

Start with the newsletter’s subject matter and whether its readers match the audience you hope to reach. Then look for available information about readership, engagement and the response its stories generate. A smaller newsletter with a closely aligned, engaged audience may be a better fit than a larger one with little connection to your client.