How to get media coverage in the age of AI

The rise of ChatGPT and Large Language Models has made human, authentic and credible voices more important than ever.

Traditional Search Engine Optimisation, focused on websites and keywords, is being replaced by a system that prioritises “authority, repetition and contextual trust across external sources.”

61 per cent of the AI content generated about the reputation of the world’s 100 largest brands is now sourced from earned media (content written by journalists).

ChatGPT now prioritises third-party content, including opinion pieces, from specialist and national media.

It comes with a catch, though. Getting earned media is more competitive than ever, not helped by AI and the mistrust it’s creating.

Take two recent stories.

In the first, a number of outlets, including The Sun and Fortune, inadvertently ran quotes generated by fake, AI-created experts.

In another, a Lithuanian PR agency claimed it could replicate the work of five PRs by sending out automated pitches and comments to journalists.

“At best, it’s spammy. At worst, it’s fraudulent,” said Andy Smith speaking to the Press Gazette. “It can create serious credibility issues for the journalist and publications involved.”

We sense this caution in media relations already.
Our last three pieces of earned media—in the education, health, and sustainability sectors—didn’t come from mass emails or cookie-cutter pitches. They came from long-term relationships, visible expertise on social media, and, in one case, simply picking up the phone and talking through a story the old-fashioned way.

Media relations is becoming very important again—but it faces more challenges than ever in the age of AI.

If you want your voice, solution, or business heard in the media, you need a long-term strategy built on human relationships with journalists rooted in credibility, authentic messaging and trust.