It's Friday! Please enjoy your Daily PR Brief - January 9, 2026
DoorDash responds to AI hoax; LLMs favor non-traditional media outlets; Why brands are finally ditching the megaphone; and more!
Survey Opportunity: USC Annenberg’s 11th annual Global Communication Survey
USC Annenberg’s 11th annual Global Communication Survey is open through the weekend, and PR and communication professionals are invited to share their perspectives. The survey takes about 15 minutes, and participants can enter to win one of five $100 Amazon gift cards.
Add your voice to the future of our profession: https://bit.ly/USC_PRSurvey26
Read some of today's best PR and Comms industry news clips:
DoorDash responds to AI hoax (Axios - January 8, 2026)
PR trends in the trust era: Why brands are finally ditching the megaphone (Agility PR Solutions - January 8, 2026)
CES 2026: How the Yahoo Comms Team Helps Build AI Tools (PRNEWS - January 9, 2026)
AI-Driven Media Targeting: How Algorithms Improve Outreach (5W Public Relations - January 8, 2026)
17 Proven Ways CEOs Can Improve Impromptu Public Speaking Skills (Forbes - January 8, 2026)
PR Daily's predictions for 2026 (PR Daily - January 8, 2026)
LLMs favor non-traditional media outlets (Axia Public Relations - January 9, 2026)
"The Media" is No Longer Relevant (CommPRO - January 8, 2026)
Top Marketing and Communications Trends for 2026: Strategies for Success (GFM|CenterTable - January 7, 2026)
AT&T chief tells staff to block outside narratives; WB CEO urges focus (Ragan Communications - January 9, 2026)
What AI needs… | What's Up In Tech PR (The Hoffman Agency - January 8, 2026)
Summary Section:
DoorDash responds to AI hoax
By Eleanor Hawkins
Axios - January 8, 2026
A Reddit post by a user masquerading as a food delivery app developer drew millions of views and forced CEOs to go on the record, revealing how AI-generated misinformation is reshaping modern reputational crises.
PR trends in the trust era: Why brands are finally ditching the megaphone
By Ethan Rome
Agility PR Solutions - January 8, 2026
Public relations in 2025 entered its “stop shouting, start proving” era. The biggest shift in PR trends is simple but brutal: audiences no longer trust noise—they trust receipts.
CES 2026: How the Yahoo Comms Team Helps Build AI Tools
By Nicole Schuman
PRNEWS - January 9, 2026
PRNEWS spoke with Sona Iliffe-Moon, Chief Communications Officer at Yahoo, at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They discussed the brand's renaissance, AI credibility and trust and getting the comms team involved in the backend of AI for PR.
AI-Driven Media Targeting: How Algorithms Improve Outreach
5W Public Relations - January 8, 2026
Discover how AI-driven targeting algorithms improve media outreach through machine learning audience segmentation and automated optimization strategies.
17 Proven Ways CEOs Can Improve Impromptu Public Speaking Skills
By Forbes Agency Council
Forbes - January 8, 2026
CEOs face high-stakes speaking moments without warning. Marketing leaders share self-directed ways to build confidence, clarity and presence when speaking on the spot.
PR Daily's predictions for 2026
By Allison Carter
PR Daily - January 8, 2026
It was a year of tumult politically, economically and within the PR industry. 2026 isn't shaping up to be a smooth ride, either, but there are a number of bright spots that give hope to PR professionals as they work to settle into a world where AI is default and their skills in media relations and content strategy are more valuable than ever. Here's what 2026 (probably) holds in store.
LLMs favor non-traditional media outlets
Axia Public Relations - January 9, 2026
Non-traditional media now drives visibility in AI content. Update your public relations news strategy to align with how LLMs shape search and influence.
"The Media" is No Longer Relevant
By Simon Erskine Locke
CommPRO - January 8, 2026
The idea of "the media" is a hangover from an increasingly distant past. A time when professional values of journalism were shared across channels, broadcasters and broadsheets.
Top Marketing and Communications Trends for 2026: Strategies for Success
By Jon Woods
GFM|CenterTable - January 7, 2026
GFM team members with expertise across marketing and communications came together to share some of the biggest trends we see surfacing in 2026 and, more importantly, what you should do about them.
AT&T chief tells staff to block outside narratives; WB CEO urges focus
By Sean Devlin
Ragan Communications - January 9, 2026
Greetings, comms pros! Let's take a look at a few recent news stories and see what we can learn from them. AT&T chief tells staff to block outside narratives; WB CEO urges focus; plus, exploring the gap between expectations and reality with manager comms.
What AI needs… | What's Up In Tech PR
By Nicolas Chan, Chief Strategist
The Hoffman Agency - January 8, 2026
AI is already generating ideas, patterns and even strategies that surprise us, but the chaotic energy of a human mind is lacking. See how to strike a balance.
If you're interested in setting up a customized report for your company or need any help with monitoring or media research feel free to reach out.
All reports made with the help of Report Mule.