Rick Newman, PR & Marketing Manager:

• Impact of AI on journalism
• How is AI content affecting reader habits
• How can PR professionals secure coverage in an AI world

Everyone I know who works in PR, marketing, advertising, SEO and/or journalism has asked themselves the same question at one point over the past few years: what does the future of our industry look like in an AI-driven world?

Every single job loss is a tragedy, but the AI evolution is here and it’s taking no prisoners. Across almost every industry, AI-powered automation and content generation has streamlined processes, shifted responsibilities and, sadly in some cases, made roles redundant entirely. The landscape is shifting at incredible pace and, if you’re feeling like you’re constantly fighting to keep on top of the latest trends and developments, I promise you are not alone! 

As someone who works in PR and marketing, I’m constantly trying to further my skillset. Recently, I had the opportunity to join 5,000 other delegates at brightonSEO where discussions around AI, GEO, social media advertising and search tools dominated the agenda.

While I found all of the talks insightful, the session that I found most interesting centred on the influence of AI in journalism and what this means for the future of online content.

Staying on top of the current media landscape is crucial in PR, and I regularly speak with journalists and editors, all of whom have reported a significant downturn in clicks generated by content which historically would have performed well. With AI-enhanced search tools and LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude providing access to summaries of every bit of information that exists on the Internet, many people no longer click through to original source material. This has resulted in the rise of the zero click search. 

For journalists and publishers who rely on website traffic and advertising revenue, this presents a significant challenge. But it also raises questions for PR professionals too. If audiences no longer need to visit news websites to access information, how can both the journalism and PR industry continue to thrive in the long term?

The answer is complicated and nuanced, but in my opinion, one of the clearest ways forward is by producing content that offers something genuinely original. Whether providing exclusive data, unique expert opinions or investigative reporting, content must be something that simply can’t be replicated by AI tools. 

As PR professionals, this means working together with our clients to uncover stories, insights and commentary that genuinely adds something new to a wider conversation. Generic content and recycled opinions are becoming increasingly easy for AI tools to replicate, but originality will always hold value. 

In some ways, this shift has been building for a number of years. During the pandemic, there was a notable increase in formulaic, click-driven content – particularly across regional news websites. Editors and publishers were under immense pressure to generate traffic and revenue which led to an influx of ‘click-bait’ articles exploring themes we’re likely all familiar with – ‘10 secrets to a happy life’ or ‘5 common household items that could harm your pet’.

This is no fault of journalists. They were being asked to produce content at an unsustainable pace and, sadly, many talented people left the industry altogether. The pressure to constantly generate new stories also inevitably led to content becoming more formulaic. 

And if there’s one thing that AI tools love, it’s formulaic content that is easy to replicate. 

Fast forward to today, and we see the rise of ‘AI slop’ content; articles that are technically functional but lack originality, human perspective and, ultimately, are very boring to read. Suddenly, journalists who have spent years honing their craft can have their work generated by AI-tools within seconds – albeit lower quality versions. 

AI can successfully imitate predictable, low-value content. Therefore, content that will stand out moving forward is the kind that it can’t recreate. Deeply researched pieces, original investigations, new insights, human experiences and genuinely insightful storytelling will, in my opinion, thrive across the coming years.

By crafting stories that inform, challenge and engage readers, both the PR and journalism industries can produce content that cuts through the ‘AI-slop’ and achieves positive results for clients.