As someone who has been in SEO longer than Google has existed, I’ve watched search evolve from blue links to rich snippets to a world where answers increasingly come from large language models (LLMs). In this new environment, a fundamental question emerges: What is AI actually reading (and how do we show up there)?
In a recent conversation, I spoke with Raina Lazarova, VP of Global Insights at Muck Rack and Chair of AMEC, about their latest “What Is AI Reading?” research and what it means for PR, communications, and marketing.
The headline finding is striking: earned media dominates AI visibility. According to Muck Rack’s study, 84% of AI citations come from earned media, and 27% from journalistic sources alone. Paid content barely moves the needle: under 0.5% of citations originate from paid online content.
If you want your brand to show up in AI-generated answers on platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, your PR and earned media strategy is central, not peripheral.
The Revival of the Press Release (For Humans and Machines)
Raina also talked about the “revival of the press release.” While many marketers had begun to write off press releases as relics of a prior era, their data shows that press releases are resurfacing as important inputs in industry trend discussions within AI models. That doesn’t mean reverting to old habits. It means writing for both humans and AI systems: structuring information clearly, using unambiguous language, and making it easy for models to identify who did what, where, and why it matters.
Authority, Recency, and the New Signals That Matter
One of the most important nuances Raina highlighted is that not all authority looks like traditional SEO authority. In the LLM world, a niche publication that deeply serves a specific industry question can carry more weight than a mass‑reach outlet, depending on the query’s intent.
Recency is equally critical. Muck Rack’s research shows that journalistic content is most likely to be cited within the first year of publication, and the first six months are especially powerful. That has direct implications for PR planning: you can’t just rely on a few flagship hits; you need ongoing, fresh coverage to remain visible in AI outputs.
Licensing deals between AI providers and publishers (for example, OpenAI and Le Monde) further shape what appears in different systems. A source that surfaces frequently in one model may barely appear in another, which is why Raina argues against fixating on a single AI as your “truth.”
Measurement Without Creating a New Vanity Metric
Raina also emphasized that AI visibility shouldn’t become the next vanity metric. With AMEC’s new GEO measurement principles, the focus is on using AI‑related metrics as directional evidence, to spot patterns, risks, and opportunities, rather than chasing a single “AI share of voice” score.
The deeper opportunity is to connect PR and communications more explicitly to business outcomes, which requires collaboration beyond traditional silos in marketing, comms, risk, and compliance.
Humanity at the Center of AI‑Era Communications
Ironically, as AI plays a larger role in how information is delivered, human journalism and human‑to‑human PR relationships matter more, not less. Creator journalism, influencer voices, and niche experts are shaping what AI reads, and many of them still start with a good PR pitch.
AI will increasingly handle the repetitive work. Our differentiator, as communicators, is critical thinking, narrative framing, and relationship‑building: the deeply human side of the craft.
Discussion points include:
- Why 84% of AI citations come from earned media, and what that means for PR budgets
- How journalistic and niche outlets influence what large language models say about your brand
- The surprising return of the press release as a key AI input
- Why recency (especially the first six months post‑publication) is critical for AI visibility
- How licensing deals between AI providers and publishers shape which sources get cited
- AMEC’s GEO measurement principles and how to avoid turning AI visibility into a new vanity metric
- The rise of creator journalism and the growing importance of personalized PR pitches
- Why human relationships and critical thinking are becoming more valuable as AI automates routine tasks