For a long time, email and phone calls were the main channels of communication between PR professionals and journalists, from sending press releases, story ideas and invitations to follow-ups and more urgent conversations. As WhatsApp became part of the daily routine of newsrooms and agencies, this dynamic began to change, and the app started to play an important role in these interactions, especially when speed and proximity matter.
Recent data shows how much this channel has become part of agency operations. According to a 2025 Mega Brasil survey, 50% of agencies that used press releases also distributed them via WhatsApp. In 2026, that percentage reached 65.4%. Although the surveys were based on different samples, the results point to the growing presence of the app in day-to-day communication with the press.
In a survey by Latam Intersect PR involving journalists across Latin America, 81.1% of respondents said they considered WhatsApp one of their main professional communication channels. This does not mean that WhatsApp has replaced email. What has changed is the way these channels are now used together.
A closer relationship
The main transformation brought by WhatsApp lies in the proximity the channel has created between the person sending and the person receiving information. While an email arrives in an inbox that may already be filled with other messages, WhatsApp allows communication to happen within a conversation, often with a history built over time.
This shift has also changed the dynamics of PR work. Contact with a journalist may start with a story idea, continue with an exchange about data or a source, develop into an interview and continue after publication. The relationship becomes part of the routine, rather than existing only when there is a story to pitch.
At the same time, this proximity requires care. A Comunique-se survey of more than 300 newsroom journalists shows that there is still no consensus around the use of these channels. Among respondents, 55.5% said WhatsApp, Telegram and Messenger should never be used by PR professionals, while 41.9% believed they could and should always be used. Another 2.6% said they should only be used when agreed upon in advance.
The results show that WhatsApp’s presence in professional routines does not mean that all journalists have the same relationship with the channel. For some, it makes their work easier and communication faster. For others, it can be another interruption in a routine already filled with messages, demands and deadlines.
Email, WhatsApp, LinkedIn or phone
For this reason, the discussion should not be about which channel is better, but about which one makes sense in each situation. Email remains important for complete press releases, studies, documents, images and information that may need to be consulted later. WhatsApp may work better when a relationship has already been established, when information needs to reach a journalist quickly or when the conversation is already happening there.
LinkedIn and other social networks have also become part of this process, particularly when building new contacts. In some cases, a conversation starts on social media and moves to email or WhatsApp. In others, there is no need to leave that environment. Phone calls also remain relevant. An urgent story, an interview that needs to be arranged quickly or an issue that requires a longer conversation may justify a call.
When not sending a message is also a choice
The ease of using WhatsApp can create the impression that using more channels increases the chances of a story being seen. An agency’s sense of urgency may also be different from that of a newsroom. If a journalist has already received the story by email and there is no new information to share, there may be no reason to send another message. If the relationship has not yet been established, WhatsApp may not be the best first step. If the information can wait, a phone call may not be necessary either. Knowing when not to use a particular channel is just as much a part of PR work as choosing the best way to make contact.
The relationship does not start with the pitch
A relationship with a journalist is also built during moments when there is no story to pitch. A conversation about a market trend, a source for a story, information that may be useful in the future or a thank-you after a publication can all be part of that relationship and help create communication that goes beyond promoting a client.
At Sherlock Communications, this work starts with the knowledge we build about the journalists we work with. Understanding the topics each professional covers, their beats and their routines helps determine not only which stories may be relevant, but also the best way to make contact.
Some journalists prefer to receive information by email, while others have a closer relationship through WhatsApp. There are also those who prefer a phone call when a story requires a more detailed conversation, or who primarily keep in touch through LinkedIn.
These preferences become part of the history of a relationship and can guide future interactions. Over time, an agency comes to understand how each journalist works, which topics interest them and when a particular channel can make a conversation easier. This knowledge also helps avoid unnecessary approaches and choose the right time to get in touch.
It is this accumulated experience that turns a contact list into a press relationship. A phone number, email address or social media profile is only a starting point. What really guides the work is the knowledge built through interactions over time.
A journalist’s phone number also requires care
The proximity created by WhatsApp also requires attention to how contacts are obtained, stored and used. A phone number is personal data protected under Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD), and its use should take into account the purpose for which that information was provided.
For agencies, this means being careful about where contacts come from and how they are shared internally. A number provided directly by a journalist for professional communication should not be treated in the same way as information obtained from third parties or found in another database.
It is also important to consider how this data is shared. The fact that a contact is available to an agency does not mean it can be freely passed on or used for any purpose. Information management needs to reflect the same responsibility involved in building these relationships.
At Sherlock Communications, this care is part of our approach to media relations. Contact management involves keeping information up to date, understanding how it was obtained and ensuring it is used for the professional purpose for which it was provided.
WhatsApp has changed the way journalists and communication professionals talk to each other, but this proximity does not eliminate the care that should already exist in these relationships. If anything, it makes it even more important to understand how contacts are built and used.
More speed, more responsibility
WhatsApp did not create the relationship between journalists and PR professionals. What it did was change its speed and reduce the distance between the two sides. A story idea can reach a journalist within seconds. A question can be answered while a story is still being produced. A spokesperson can be quickly connected with a newsroom. Information that emerges in the morning can turn into an interview opportunity just a few hours later.
This speed is particularly relevant in a journalistic routine shaped by tight deadlines and real-time news. But it also requires greater judgment from communication professionals. The challenge for agencies is not simply to keep up with WhatsApp’s presence in journalists’ routines. It is to understand how this change affects media relationships and adapt their strategies without turning proximity into excessive contact.
In Brazil, WhatsApp has become an important part of this relationship. The channel has brought greater speed and proximity, but it has also made the need for strategy, personalization and responsibility more evident. More than a new communication tool, it shows how the dynamic between journalists and PR professionals continues to evolve.