In an era of declining trust, rapidly shifting media habits, and rising demands for authenticity, modern PR must balance credibility, consistency, and reach to earn audience attention. VaynerX, in partnership with Muck Rack and Ipsos, has released 'Inside Modern PR: Trust, Timing & Building Credibility – A Deep Dive Into Earned Attention in 2025', a report exploring how successful brands and leaders are moving beyond traditional media relations to build credibility and influence in a hyper-connected world. Read a few key stats below, and access the full findings for PR professionals navigating the balance between credibility and reach in 2025 here. 

Key findings: 

• Trust is Declining and Harder to Win: 56% of consumers report their trust in news sources has declined over the past five years. Their top trust signals are fact-checked information with clear data, followed by transparency of sources and balanced reporting.
• A Proof Gap Exists: Brand leaders over-index on the value of visual proof (photos, video), ranking it twice as highly as clear data. Yet, with the rise of AI and manipulated imagery, consumers prioritize functional proof (clear, verifiable data and sourcing) as their most valued trust signal.
• The Consumer is the Final Arbiter of Truth: When faced with a questionable story, 44% of consumers fact-check on their own. The biggest credibility red flag is a lack of clear evidence, data, or sources, flagged by 65% of respondents.
• Consistency is Currency: While 90% of brand leaders agree a steady presence is necessary outside of a crisis, only 29% strongly agree their brand’s voice is consistently authentic. Consumers reward brands with a consistent, positive reputation (25%) more than those that can simply respond rapidly to a crisis (14%).