The Public Relations Blog

In this episode, Serena Ehrlich joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss how AI-powered search engines take data from press releases, and how they decide on what to show their users.

Tune in to learn more!

It’s one of the first questions many business leaders ask when exploring public relations. After all, in most areas of business, service providers give clear projections: accountants promise compliant filings, IT teams guarantee uptime, ad agencies guarantee placements. So why do those in PR — a powerful driver of reputation, trust, and influence — resist putting outcomes in writing?

How AI is shaping brand visibility through media coverage

AI is no longer just a technological buzzword. You’re using AI, whether you realize it or not, to shape your brand’s reputation. It’s now a central part of how companies shape their public image and manage their brand's reputation.

From the way people search for companies to how those companies are represented in search results, AI plays a growing role. As AI tools evolve, they’re pulling content from media sources to inform answers, fuel conversations, and even frame public perception across digital channels.

You need your brand to show up when artificial intelligence delivers the answers. As AI changes how people find information online, earned media has become more important than ever. When AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini pull data to generate responses, they often rely on trusted third-party sources like news articles, podcasts, and interviews.

That means your visibility now depends less on ads or owned content and more on how others talk about you. If you're not already prioritizing earned media, you're missing a key piece of the AI-driven discovery puzzle.

Imagine you're sitting in a busy newsroom filled with reporters racing against deadlines. You have a story pitch in mind that you believe is newsworthy. But how do you make sure this reporter, who is juggling multiple assignments, sees the value in what you're offering?

The answer lies in presenting a complete and engaging story. No reporter wants to take bits and pieces of an idea and turn it into something publishable on their own. They prefer receiving a pitch that's press-ready, packed with every element they need.

We asked ChatGPT directly how it uses earned media and news releases to shape its responses. Its answer reveals exactly why PR is now central to AI-powered discovery. If your brand isn’t showing up in trusted coverage, you’re invisible to the algorithms shaping today’s conversations.

Explore the full exchange and its implications for your PR strategy regarding AI relations.

AI isn’t pulling from your ad copy or blog posts.

It’s citing your earned media.

As generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google SGE reshape how people search, public relations — not SEO or paid media — is powering brand discovery. In fact, 95% of citations in AI-generated answers come from PR-driven content. If your company isn’t earning credible coverage, it’s getting left out of the conversation.

Here’s why PR is now the front door to AI-powered discovery and how to make sure your brand shows up.

You want your corporate updates to matter, not just make noise. Not every internal change deserves a press release, and understanding the difference is key. When you know what’s newsworthy, you avoid wasting time and resources on announcements that won’t land. Your ability to shape perception depends on sharing what resonates, not just what’s new.

In this solocast episode, On Top of PR host Jason Mudd discusses why “guaranteed media” isn’t earned and how to protect yourself from misleading PR firms.

Tune in to learn more!

In this episode, Vannyda Thach joins host Jason Mudd to discuss expert strategies for media pitching and journalist relationships

Tune in to learn more!