PR: Is 2026 really the new 2016?

“ 2016 looks calm only in hindsight. My dark circles and anxiety migraines remember it very differently. I’ll happily stay in 2026, thank you ... where PR has finally grown up into the business of reputation, not just coverage. While the world spirals over platforms, formats, algorithms, content calendars and “perfect timing,” PR has stepped back to do the harder work: understanding trust, credibility and perception across all of it. Media has become a part of what we do...not what we solely do. Those grey hairs and sleepless nights finally count as experience and not collateral damage across all communication mediums that can be forged together to rule them all. We are the ONE RING that binds them all... 

So no... nostalgia aside, I have zero interest in going back to 2016… or worse, 2006,  is Tarunjeet Rattan, managing partner, Nucleus PR's pithy answer.

Priyan DC, CEO, Star Squared PR, is softer in his response, "It’s hard to say whether PR was 'better' in 2016. Every phase comes with its own challenges and strengths, and each has helped shape how we work today.

 It was a pre-COVID world, where communication was largely in person. Meetings with journalists and stakeholders happened face-to-face, which helped build strong working relationships.The media ecosystem was also very different, as there were fewer outlets, less noise, and lower competition. Media outreach cycles were longer, allowing more time to refine stories and messaging.

In a nutshell, PR earlier was largely about shaping perception. It was quieter, slower, and more forgiving."

Vvihan Gulati, founder of Mediagraphics, feels that "PR was not really better (in 2016). It was simpler." 

Gulati adds, "A decade ago, PR was largely about earned media. Social media existed, but it hadn’t yet become a reputational force that could amplify or dismantle narratives in real time.

Today, PR operates in a louder, faster ecosystem. PR is no longer just about coverage, but about managing narratives across media, platforms, and audiences. That isn’t a decline. It’s evolution."

Vishaal Shah, founder of Moe’s Art, agrees, saying, "2016 feels like ‘better PR’, it’s usually nostalgia for a time when the system was forgiving. Today, PR is harder, more exposed, and far more strategic, and that’s not declining. That’s the function of finally evolving into doing the full job."

Lavang Khare, strategic communications, agrees that, "PR was not necessarily better in 2016, but it was more deliberate and calmer. With fewer platforms and a slower news cycle, thinking played a more critical role and preceded doing, and relationships carried real weight. Today, PR is faster, noisier and definitely more measurable. We may have gained scale and speed, but we risk losing judgment and trust. The real task now is not nostalgia, but discipline combining today’s reach with yesterday’s rigour."

Reporters and PR folks got along better 

"A decade ago, there was more harmony between media and communications professionals at large, and that led to better information exchange and more connections. That's something one misses from the yesteryears for sure",  shares Swagato Mallick, lead consultant- brand PR and communications at Medhavi Skills University.

"In 2016, trust between PR professionals and the media was stronger. The PR of 2016 felt more human, organic, and patient. The real opportunity now lies in combining the speed and scale of today’s tools with the authenticity, relationship-building, and thoughtful storytelling that defined PR a decade ago. That balance is what can truly make PR impactful again", shares Aashish Gupta, founder, Make You Big Media Pvt.

Time to build stories

"Brands were beginning to understand the influence of narrative-led communication. Storylines were given space to evolve, reputations were built through consistency rather than virality, and success was about saying the right thing, to the right people, at the right time", Rahat Beri, founder and MD, Blue Ocean IMC

Shouger Merchant Doshi, founder, Rainmaker Consults, " In 2016, you were not running after algorithms, but you were cultivating credibility. Today, the pace is relentless, and everything is instant, measurable, and quickly forgotten. What once built a brand on a print review is now done through a "hybrid" model that combines digital with storytelling."

The roar of the scroll

"In 2016, PR was arguably 'better' because of the luxury of narrative depth. A decade ago, we were architects of long-term stories with the bandwidth to build genuine, consultative relationships with the media. Today, we’re often firefighters in a 24/7 digital cycle, competing with algorithms rather than just other stories and could get lost in the constant roar of the scroll," says Gaurav Prabhu, founder at GP Advisory

Counting links rather than building reputation

Vivek Sood, director of RPR (REGIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS), says bluntly, "Today, PR in many cases has been reduced to pushing press releases through paid platforms. For several startups and young brands, visibility has become an 'eye-wash” — more about counting links than building reputation. The focus has shifted from influence to impressions, from credibility to convenience.

More concerning is the gradual loss of personal relationships. The charm of meeting editors, understanding newsroom priorities, and nurturing long-term associations has faded. Once the backbone of successful PR campaigns, these relationships are now often replaced by automated systems and transactional exchanges.

“Back then, PR largely revolved around press releases and media relationships, with limited scope to measure real impact. Today, in 2026, it’s a different ball game altogether. Digital platforms, data analytics and AI have reshaped PR into a strategic business function where outcomes are measurable, and accountability is non-negotiable.

The numbers tell their own story. The global PR industry, valued at around $100 billion in 2024, is projected to touch nearly $133 billion by 2029, growing at a steady 6% CAGR — driven by data-backed strategies and the rise of influencer-led communication. AI, once a buzzword, is now firmly in the driver’s seat, with nearly two-thirds of PR professionals using generative AI tools to sharpen content, manage crises and make smarter decisions, says Durgesh Tripathi, lead, corporate communications, Signature Global & curator, The Comms Circle.