AI improves and automates media relations, but it also standardizes messaging. The difference lies in trust, networking, and human connections, which have become essential in the face of constant solicitations.
Artificial intelligence is making its mark across all sectors of the economy, but the more tools improve, the more the value of human interaction intensifies.
Public relations, long perceived as a profession historically rooted in the strength of networks, is no exception to this transformation.
Indeed, in an information-saturated, automated, and sometimes dehumanized ecosystem, it is no longer just the messages that matter, but those who deliver them.
Automation & Standardization
Today, AI tools make it possible to draft press releases, identify journalists, or even personalize campaigns in a matter of seconds. Databases are enriched, targeting is more precise, and performance is measurable in real time.
This technological sophistication has a direct consequence: it leads to standardization.
Journalists receive hundreds of pitches every day—often well-crafted, well-targeted, but interchangeable.
And, in this constant stream, what makes the difference is no longer just the quality of the content. It is the credibility of the person reaching out.
Freelancers’ Relationship Capital & Agencies’ Competitive Advantage
For freelance press officers, this shift is particularly striking. Whereas technical expertise and production capacity used to take precedence, it is now relational capital that makes the difference.
Assignments are rarely secured based solely on a portfolio or a business proposal. They rely on one key element: recommendations.
Whether it’s a satisfied former client, a partner agency, or a journalist with whom a relationship of trust has been built, all these connections become decisive catalysts.
Just like resumes on professional platforms—which are often filtered out upfront by algorithms—profiles get lost in the crowd. What helps you get past this first invisible filter is often a human connection.
A direct recommendation does more than just validate skills: it reassures, lends credibility, and, above all, builds commitment.
For agencies, the situation is similar, but on a different scale.
Faced with advertisers who are increasingly in demand and very strong competition , pitches are no longer won solely on the basis of polished presentations or promises of visibility. They are won on the basis of trust.
An existing relationship, a successful past experience, or proximity to decision-making teams are all factors that carry significant weight.
In this context, the human element complements technology. Indeed, the best agencies are not those that use the most tools, but those that know how to put them at the service of a sincere, lasting, and personalized relationship.
Journalists: Trust as the Ultimate Filter
For journalists, this shift is even more evident. Faced with a flood of automated solicitations, their first instinct is often to turn to identified, reliable contacts whose professionalism and relevance they know.
An email, even if perfectly written, will never have the same impact if it comes from an unknown contact or from a press officer with whom a relationship has been built over time.
People as the last line of defense against standardization
Building a relationship, earning trust, maintaining a network… none of this happens instantly or automatically. Media relations remind us of a simple reality: effectiveness depends on the long term.
Taking the time to understand a journalist, to follow their topics, to propose truly relevant angles. Taking the time to build a relationship with a client, beyond a one-off assignment. Finally, taking the time to maintain one’s network, without an immediate goal.
AI will continue to advance and transform practices. It will become an indispensable ally for public relations professionals, but it will not replace what is at the very heart of the profession: the ability to build connections!
In short, the more technology advances, the more valuable relationships become.
