82% of journalists now use AI tools, Muck Rack survey finds

82% of Journalists Now Use AI Tools, Muck Rack Survey Finds

Artificial intelligence adoption among journalists has climbed to 82%, with ChatGPT emerging as the dominant tool at 47% usage, according to a survey of nearly 900 journalists released by Muck Rack on March 19, 2026.

The annual State of Journalism report tracks how the profession is adapting to rapid technological change. Gemini usage jumped to 22% from 13% the previous year, while Claude doubled from 6% to 12%. Transcription tools remain widely used at 40%.

Yet caution is growing. Twenty-six percent of journalists now cite unchecked AI as a top industry concern, up 8 percentage points year over year. Disinformation and lack of funding remain the leading threats, each cited by 32% of journalists.

Social Media's Grip on Reporting Loosens

Journalists are relying less on social platforms for reporting. Only 21% say social media is very important to producing their work, down 12 percentage points since 2024.

But these platforms still matter for promotion. Forty-five percent say social media is very important for amplifying their stories. Facebook ranks as the most valuable platform at 28%, followed by LinkedIn at 20%.

Trust in specific platforms varies widely. Fifty-eight percent of journalists trust LinkedIn to treat journalistic content fairly. TikTok distrust climbed to 61%, up 10 percentage points from the prior year.

The Exhaustion Factor

Sixty-five percent of journalists still describe their work as meaningful. Nearly half, however, say it's exhausting.

More than half report that misinformation has complicated their work over the past year. Nearly one-third say safety concerns have affected their reporting.

PR Pitches Miss the Mark

Eighty-six percent of journalists say PR pitches inspire at least some of their stories. But relevance remains a persistent problem. Eighty-eight percent immediately discard pitches that miss their beat.

Nearly half of journalists say they rarely receive pitches matched to their coverage area. Seventy-eight percent consider a pitch genuinely relevant when it directly affects the community their audience belongs to.

Journalists rank the most valuable pitch elements as:

• Clear relevance to their beat
• Access to relevant sources
• Original research or data
• High-resolution images

About the Research

Muck Rack surveyed 1,044 journalists between January 30 and March 2, 2026. The analysis included 897 responses after data quality checks. Respondents were primarily based in the United States, with additional representation from the United Kingdom, Canada, and India.

For writers looking to integrate AI into their workflow, ChatGPT Courses & Certifications and AI for Writers Courses offer hands-on training in the tools now standard in newsrooms.