There’s a lot of change happening in the communications industry these days. Seasoned journalists are flooding into the profession, traditional barriers between advertising and editorial are blurring, and the predominance of digital tools and channels is increasingly challenging traditional media as the go-to source for news.

With so much shifting, many newcomers to the industry are struggling to find their footing. Here are three trends I’ve observed in the industry along with some strategies new communicators can use to thrive in this changing environment.

The Evolution of an In-House Media Network

Media outlets are increasingly struggling to support journalism on multiple platforms with shrinking resources. As a result, companies, governments and non-profits are leveraging similar storytelling techniques and bringing them in-house to support internal and external communications objectives. This means highly skilled communications generalists with an understanding of how to write a good news story, pitch it to media, shoot video, take photos and incorporate content onto online channels are becoming very valuable to employers.

Relationships (be they Online or Offline) Still Matter – a lot!

Relationships essential for professional success, even as content and interactions shift online, They are critical. It is essential to have strong and authentic relationships with  media   and within your own organization to get things done and mitigate misunderstandings that will inevitably crop up during your day to day operations. Stronger relationships will also support your efforts to find interesting bits of content and stories within your own internal organization.

Earned, Owned and Paid Media Are Blending Together

These three areas of communications used to be far more siloed. Today, owing in part to the economics of the media market, there’s a great deal of blending between the two as organizations and companies seek to develop partnerships around shared content with media organizations. The result is a more muddled environment where the communicator must not only understand the basic tenets of public relations and internal communications but must also have decent grounding in advertising and paid media. Often ad buys come with editorial coverage so the same prerequisites apply to advertisers. Ultimately, to succeed in this transforming media landscape, communicators need to be versatile.