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The media landscape is changing faster than we can comprehend.

Traditional media comprises formats such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines and billboards — the pre-internet communication channels that have long dominated the news and entertainment industries.

Alternative media, on the other hand, is media delivered through non-traditional platforms: TikTok, LinkedIn, Substack, podcasts and influencers. While the concept of “alternative news” may be daunting — and even raise questions about what qualifies as news at all — it is simply the content we already consume.

Most of us interact with these platforms daily for news, entertainment or cultural relevance. For example, many of us scroll X for real-time news, tune into a podcast during our commute or follow a Substack writer whose takes we trust more than any op-ed page. Our clients’ audiences are doing the exact same thing.

Alternative media is uncharted territory for communications professionals, who, for decades, have relied on formal connections to legacy papers such as The New York Times or The Washington Post. Though these papers will continue to be influential, they are no longer the only means to an end, the only avenue for projecting our clients’ voices. In fact, they are oftentimes not the most effective platform due to limited reach, a mismatched audience or low engagement.

The stark truth is that legacy media no longer holds the same overarching influence it once did. Salary cuts, mass layoffs and mounting editorial controversies have pushed many of the most respected names in journalism to take a leap of faith — leaving legacy institutions for independent platforms such as Substack to venture into a more independent, free and creative space where they can take greater ownership of their work.

Communications professionals cannot afford to ignore this shift. We must understand that in this new media era, it is not about where a journalist works, but who they are and who listens to them. A reporter who spent a decade at a major newspaper did not leave their credibility behind when they launched their Substack. They brought their audience with them — often a more loyal, engaged one. PR professionals must embrace the fact that being a reporter no longer means working for a traditional newsroom, and that sharing news no longer means only publishing through legacy institutions.

Indeed, relationships with legacy papers and their reporters remain meaningful and worthwhile. At the same time, when a reporter you have built a relationship with moves on from a legacy outlet, the relationship does not end. Instead, you should follow them to their new platform.

Independent platforms like Substack give supporters access to content on highly niche, specific topics. Everything from fashion resources to political theories to climate policy goes. As personalities are defined more by their individual identities than by institutional affiliations, becoming their own personal brand, they can cultivate deeply loyal audiences. For communications professionals, this creates an opportunity to help clients connect with precisely the audiences they want to reach. The objective of our job has not changed at all (helping clients reach the right audiences), but the way we go about achieving it has.

PR professionals should engage with writers’ new content as we would their previous work. Subscribe to their newsletter, like their online content and leave a thoughtful comment.

Pitch these creators with the same level of preparation you would bring to a legacy paper — reading their recent work, understanding their angle, making a clear case for why your client fits their coverage and using language that will catch their attention. Include them on press releases and event invitations, and pitch regularly. These writers are building loyal subscriber bases around specific topics, which means a well-placed story in the right newsletter can drive more meaningful engagement than a buried mention in a national paper.

Legacy outlets remain influential and worth pursuing. But they are no longer the only path to an audience that matters. Communications professionals who expand their media map — who treat independent journalists, Substack writers and niche content creators as first-tier media contacts — will consistently make a more profound impact for their clients than those who do not.