Rewriting the Rules: How AI is Shaping Media Relations

We are constantly bombarded with news and updates around artificial intelligence (AI), and it’s only going to continue to grow. As we navigate this amazing media industry, one thing I believe to be true is that AI is not here to replace PR pros, but to enhance our current skills, and streamline tasks (like building media lists for example) to allow us more time to develop customized pitches, reach out to media friendlies and new contacts and find the perfect narrative for our client that will result in media coverage. I still believe that the human element remains essential in this industry to achieve success.

AI Advantage: Faster, Insight-Driven Media Relations

There’s no doubt that AI is changing how we as PR pros identify the right journalists, track trends in different industries, and develop company messaging. It’s a great tool to use for laying the foundation for building media relationships with journalists and reporters. AI can show a reporter’s previous work and/or topic interests to allow us as the pros to develop the perfect pitch to hopefully land story coverage for our clients. Some tools used in the industry, like MuckRack for example, offer insights into their platforms, which allows us to see data and insights suggestions for refining our pitches, when to send our pitch, and more. Media vetting should always be double checked to ensure that all the AI-driven insights are accurate – and that goes for everything we use AI for.

In my opinion, one of AI’s biggest advantages is the automation of tasks, such as media list building, trend monitoring, and competitor analysis. These tasks, which are essential to client success, can now be done more efficiently, allowing more time for PR pros to focus on strategy and relationship-building.

Beyond research and automation of tasks, AI is great for tracking trends, which can help PR teams stay ahead of industry changes and news. By analyzing online conversations and media coverage, AI tools highlight trending topics that can be used for newsjacking, bylined articles and targeted pitches. These efficiencies mean teams can spend less time sorting through data and more time developing meaningful stories from insights and stats that hopefully resonate with our intended audience.

Why the Human Touch Matters Most

Despite AI’s benefits, relying too heavily on automation can be risky. Not only is there an oversaturation in the market right now of AI-generated content, but it lacks creativity and personalization, the very elements that make media relations effective. Just like we can tell if someone has used AI (in an advertisement or online Instagram post), Journalists can also tell when a pitch is AI-generated. Some even use AI checkers to check the content they receive to make sure it has not been generated by AI and put disclaimers in their content submission forms that AI content will not be accepted into their publication. PR professionals should use AI as a starting point for research and automation, not to remove all of the human touch from their work.

As mentioned previously, it’s important to check for accuracy when using AI, as some uses of AI can introduce inaccuracies to information presented, pitches developed or research on a journalist generated for the team. If AI mistakenly attributes a reporter to an article or topic they’ve never covered, it can damage credibility and relationships, keeping our client stories out of the news and us focusing our energies on resolving an issue that didn’t need to happen in the first place. The best practice: Always complete the two “F’s” - fact-check and follow up - before hitting send.

Moreover, heavy reliance on AI can lead to missed opportunities for human customization. In my experience, the most successful media pitches are those that establish a genuine connection, whether by referencing a journalist’s recent work that would make sense for them to cover client news or engage with their interests outside of work. AI can assist with the initial research, but it takes human knowledge to pick up on personal details, like a shared love of a sports team, or living in the same city, that can serve as an authentic connection and build even strong media relationships.

AI is an Asset, not a Replacement

AI is reforming media relations every day, but it’s not a substitute for the human touch that has the capability to build strong relationships. The best PR strategies use AI to work smarter and faster, like automating tasks and uncovering new insights and trends to newsjack. It is our job to check for inaccuracies and use AI as a starting point, not the be-all-end-all to our work.

At the end of the day, successful media relations work comes down to trust, credibility and meaningful relationships, which are things AI cannot replicate.

PR pros should embrace AI as a tool to enhance their work, but never let it replace the art of effective communication.