Survey Results
Darby Communications’ annual State of the Media Survey takes the pulse of editors, staff writers, freelancers, and creators across outdoor, endurance, and hunt/fish media. This year’s headline: the industry is operating in a review-first reality with faster timelines, smaller media trips, and AI disruption as the status quo.
As we sifted through hundreds of qualitative and quantitative data points, four trends emerged:
- Product reviews and roundups remain the top driver of coverage.
- Lead times are compressing to 1–2 months for most digital outlets.
- Micro media trips are in demand.
- AI is reshaping the media landscape of our industry.
Survey Methodology & Respondents
Darby Communications distributed the survey in July 2025, capturing self-reported responses from a diverse cross-section of media: editors, staff writers, freelancers, and content creators in our core sectors. The survey included 25 quantitative and qualitative questions covering pitching preferences, reviews and gift guides, affiliate dynamics, media trips, and the evolving impact of AI. All participation was voluntary, and any direct quotes are used with permission.
As a PR agency working primarily with consumer product brands in the outdoor, endurance, hunting, and fishing spaces, a sizeable portion of our work centers on product awareness. It’s worth noting that there’s some selection bias in terms of who received the survey, as a majority of the respondents test and review gear as part of their job, which is reflected in the data.
This year brought a noticeable uptick in survey participation from editors and content creators, with a blurring of roles across the board. 46% of respondents identified as freelancing, but only 12% said freelancing was their sole position, echoing Pew’s finding that one in three journalists now freelance in some capacity. This blend shaped contrasting sentiments: editors are grappling with traffic and ad revenue declines, while freelancers and staffers are focused on income stability and steady assignments in a time of uncertainty and staff cuts. For brand teams, the takeaway is practical: outreach must be efficient, relevant, and value-dense, as media bandwidth is stretched thin.
Outreach Preferences
Email remains the undisputed champ for pitching, earning a 4.7/5 preference score. It’s less intrusive, creates a searchable paper trail, and makes it easy to retrieve details quickly. But the inbox has never been more competitive. Axios reports the PR-to-journalist ratio is now roughly 6:1 (up from 4.6:1 a decade ago). Many media in our survey receive upward of 100 pitches daily.
How can PR pros add value to your work?
“You [outdoor industry PR professionals] are hugely valuable to connect us with experts, brainstorm ideas for sources/data, etc.”
– Kate Robertson, Shop, Eat, Surf Outdoors
Against that backdrop, it’s understandable why 70% of respondents said personalization and relevant product info are absolute must-haves. Generic or irrelevant pitches are a top frustration for media. As timelines compress and newsroom priorities shift, PR practitioners need to ensure outreach is targeted, valuable, and concise, or they risk getting buried. This includes easily digestible product specs, relevant links, product testing availability, usable assets, and expert voices available for comment.
How can PR pros add value to your work?
“[PR professionals] help curate ideas and leads that are most relevant to me. They also humanize an increasingly demanding work landscape.”
-Adam Ruggiero, GearJunkie
Product Reviews and Holiday Gift Guides
83% of respondents ranked product reviews/roundups as most important to their work. This dovetails with shifting consumer discovery patterns—PR is now a critical lever for enhancing AI visibility, and structured, test-forward product content tends to perform well in AI citations. The message for brands is clear: product storytelling drives interest, but it must be timely, testable, and well-supported. Two key dynamics to plan around:
- Lead times are compressing. Two years ago, 3–4 months was a common duration. Now, 77% of respondents operate on 1–2 month lead times so it is important to organize assets, testing samples, and approvals accordingly.
- Affiliate marketing is growing in influence. Digiday reports that about 15% of digital media revenue comes from affiliate marketing. Only 10% of respondents called affiliate a “must-have” today, but more now consider it a “nice to have,” and we expect preference to rise as more journalists build independent revenue streams.
Holiday Gift Guides remain a crucial visibility and revenue moment, but the timing is evolving. Most outlets are now publishing in November rather than October, aligning with consolidated late-fall/early-winter spending. Publishing timing nuances by vertical include:
- Active Lifestyle: early October
- Outdoor: late October into early November
- Hunt/Fish: November into December
Interestingly, respondents indicated that audience alignment is the top criterion when considering gift guide inclusion of a product, while “newness” and price matter less than in years past.
Media Trips
Yes, media trips are back—and yes, media want invites. 86% of respondents accept trip invitations, but there are caveats. Media want brands to understand:
- Time is money, and being away from the desk creates opportunity costs (missed deadlines, fewer pitches, slower output).
- Coverage cannot be guaranteed. It’s earned.
What factors make a media trip attractive?
“Flexibility to personalize the trip to my potential story and outlet needs. A definite understanding that coverage is not guaranteed.”
– Geoff Nudelman, InsideHook
Across roles, media trip must-haves are remarkably consistent:
- Small groups to maximize facetime with brand experts
- Time-efficient itineraries (2–3 days is the sweet spot)
- Clear, varied story angles (gear, location, culture, expert voices)
- Transparent expectations
It’s also worth remembering that some outlets (e.g., NYT/Wirecutter) prohibit staff from attending press trips. Plan your invite lists accordingly.
Outdoor Industry Media Landscape
Editors are rethinking revenue models in a world of zero-click search and shrinking SEO-driven traffic. Outlets are testing strategies that prioritize engagement over raw clicks.
We’re also seeing a rise in “GEO” principles—content structured for AI visibility: clear headers, FAQs, and first-party testing data. Outlets like OutdoorGearLab and GearJunkie are winning AI citations because their reviews are rigorous, include first-party testing data, and are well structured and deeply explanatory.
What are your current media concerns?
“AI and its potential impact on site traffic and affiliate revenue through traditional avenues like search.”
-Will Egensteiner, Hearst Magazines
Revenue experiments continue. Subscriptions are on the rise, and media-branded experiences are gaining traction. Outside’s move behind a paywall, coupled with experiential plays like Outside Fest, is an example in outdoor industry media as they look to diversify their revenue stream. At the same time, media decentralization is creating fresh lanes for journalists to build their own influence. From podcasts and Substack to a resurgence in independent print publications, journalists are drawing loyal audiences and monetizing their influence directly.
What are you optimistic about?
“New indie mags popping up, like Trails Mag, Runher, Rooted Journal, and Field Mag’s print editions.”
– Amelia Arvesen, Freelancer for Outside
The upshot: the outlets best positioned for AI-era discovery combine human expertise with machine-readable structure. For brands, the opportunity is to bring real testing, real experts, and real assets to the table, so media can build the kind of content that wins both people and platforms.
Conclusion
2025 rewards brands that move with the media, not against it, and ones that think like AI by organizing information for humans and machines. Brands and PR teams that lead with review-ready product stories, understand the fast-paced 1–2 month lead time environment, structure pitches with personalized relevance and complete assets, and invest in small, story-dense media trips will continue to excel. Most of all, prioritize relationships—because in a noisy, fast-moving landscape, trusted partners still get the first look. Darby Communications will keep tracking the shifts so your PR strategy stays a step ahead.