Trusted journalist relationships help brands earn authoritative coverage—the kind of independent content that AI search engines are more likely to cite.
By Jessica Savage, CEO
When I started in communications, public relations was built on relationships. It still is. In an era of AI-powered search, those relationships matter not only for earning meaningful coverage, but also for helping brands and thought leaders appear in credible, independently published sources.
Commentators on LinkedIn and Substack often argue that earned media is all but dead, sometimes they toss PR in there too. Neither hypothesis is correct. Like all other industries, change is happening and PR agencies still play a critical role in helping credible, relevant stories reach the right publications and audiences.
What makes a media relationship valuable?
A valuable media relationship is not about landing one story once. It is a trusted, long-term connection that creates continued interest in a brand, spokesperson or thought leader—and helps journalists access useful ideas, expertise and information when they need them.
As my colleagues Hollie Shaw and Jonathan Forani remind me in media training, journalists are people too. They remember who was useful, responsive and able to make their work easier. Strong media relationships are often built long before a story is written and can continue long after it is published.
That is how a PR professional moves beyond a one-off pitch and becomes one of the first people a reporter calls for context, expertise or a credible source.
How PR teams build strong journalist relationships
At Publicis Groupe, our agency teams manage media relationships across phone, email, social media and industry events. In recent months, we have helped thought leaders turn strong ideas into timely op-eds in top-tier publications. That coverage has strengthened their professional profiles, increased brand recognition with journalists and generated further earned media opportunities.
The lesson is simple: effective media relations extends far beyond a single email pitch.
Why earned media matters for AI search visibility
Media relationship-building is especially important because AI search engines rely on authoritative third-party sources when generating answers. Research from Machine Relations indicates that earned media is cited more often in AI search results than paid or owned channels, including wire-distributed press releases. In practical terms, credible editorial coverage can improve a brand’s visibility, authority and likelihood of being referenced in AI-generated answers.
Key takeaways
- Brands that want to be discoverable in both traditional media and AI search should invest in sustained journalist relationships.
- Helpful, credible and responsive media engagement creates the conditions for authoritative coverage—and authoritative coverage creates lasting visibility.