Journalism–PR relations revisited: The good news, the bad news, and insights into tomorrow's news

• This study provides qualitative insights from interviews with journalists and PR practitioners.
• Journalists acculturate some PR practitioners as sources and experts and no longer see them as PR.
• Journalists maintain negative perceptions of PR based on narrow understanding of PR.
• The influence of PR on media is growing because of new media formats.
• Codes of ethics and practice inadequately cover emergent media and PR practices.

Extensive research over the past 100 years has shown that the interrelationship between journalism and PR is tensioned and paradoxical, with negative perceptions of PR among journalists and trivialization and demonization of PR as ‘spin’ contrasted by claims of ‘symbiosis’ and evidence that 40–75% of media content is significantly influenced by PR. However, studies have been predominantly quantitative and most predate the recent ‘crisis in journalism’ and rapid growth of new media formats. This article reports in-depth interviews with senior editors, journalists and PR practitioners in three countries that provide new insights into journalism–PR relations today and identify trajectories for future research, education and practice.