AI Won’t Get You Media Coverage. Here’s What Will 

AI might be transforming industries everywhere, but when it comes to securing media coverage, it could actually be doing more harm than good. While AI is brilliant for streamlining workflows, gathering information, and speeding up tasks, journalists are increasingly wary of it. 

And for business owners trying to get featured in the media, that wariness matters. 

In this blog, we break down the risks of using AI to pitch journalists, what reporters are saying behind the scenes, and how to use AI safely without getting black-banned from the newsroom. 

Why AI Is the Wrong Tool for Pitching Journalists 

AI is exceptional at gathering information that already exists. But here’s the issue: 

If journalists wanted that information, they would find it themselves. 

The media isn’t interested in recycled knowledge. They want: 

• A fresh take 
   

• A strong opinion 
   

• A unique angle 
   

• A human perspective 
   

News, by definition, is about what’s new. AI, by design, recycles what’s old. 

That alone is enough to make journalists hesitate, but the concerns go much deeper. 

Journalists Can Spot AI Content Instantly 

Journalists are trained to detect laziness. Their “AI radar” is switched on permanently, and it’s becoming sharper by the year. 

According to new research: 

• 88% of journalists say they are now concerned about the use of AI in pitches (up from 79% last year). 
   

• 63% do not use AI to create content at all because they consider it lazy or low-quality. 
   

• Many openly describe AI-generated content as a “cheap shot.” 
   

And they’re not wrong. AI can unintentionally introduce: 

• Outdated information 
   

• Wrong details 
   

• Incorrect data 
   

• Homogenised opinions that sound like everyone else 
   

One journalist recently received a pitch claiming to rank “the top five business class airlines”, except two of those airlines had already gone bankrupt. The pitch was clearly created by AI and sent without fact-checking. 

This is exactly why journalists are increasingly sceptical, if not outright hostile, toward AI-generated pitches. 

The Danger of Letting AI Speak for You 

Former Fairfax journalist Ali  Cain summed up the problem perfectly. When she receives an AI pitch, she sees two red flags: 

1. “The expert isn’t an expert.” 
   If you’re not offering your opinion, your insight, or your unique take — are you really the expert? 
    

2. “It’s downright lazy.” 
   And laziness is something journalists do not forgive. 
    

She has gone as far as black-banning people who send her AI-generated pitches. 

That is the danger. Not only can AI weaken your message, but it can also damage your reputation with journalists permanently. 

How to Use AI Safely (Without Killing the Pitch) 

Here’s the nuance: AI can be helpful, but only at the beginning. 

As Brené Brown famously calls it, AI can be your “shitty first draft.” 

Use AI to: 

• Brainstorm 

• Spark ideas 

• Get an initial structure 

• Break through writer’s block 

But that’s it. 

AI is the first step, never the final product. Because AI will never: 

• Put the most compelling angle at the top 

• Capture your unique insights 

• Include your personality 

• Deliver the emotional punch journalists look for 
   

Kate recently reviewed an AI-generated media release for a friend. The most compelling sentence, the real headline, was buried in paragraph five. AI simply couldn’t recognise what mattered. 

Your job is to take the AI draft and wash it with your own voice, your expertise, your heart, and your lived experience. 

That’s what journalists want. That’s what audiences feel. That’s what AI cannot replicate. 

Why Human Connection Still Wins Every Time 

If there’s one thing journalists crave, it’s this: heart. 

At our last Meet the Press Masterclass, one attendee shared the heartbreaking story of losing her son 12 years ago. She spoke with authenticity, vulnerability, and courage. 

Every single journalist in the room wanted her story. 

Not because AI had crafted a neat sentence. Because she made them feel something. 

And as one journalist put it: “AI doesn’t make you feel anything.” 

That emotional connection is irreplaceable. It’s what turns a pitch into a story. It’s what turns a story into coverage. It’s what makes people lean in, care, and remember. 

News is entertainment. Entertainment is news. The marriage of those two, with a bit of heart, always wins. 

The Most Common AI Mistakes Businesses Make 

If you’re relying on AI for your pitches, watch out for these errors, they’re the exact giveaways journalists are trained to spot: 

1. Leaving AI “signatures” in your message 

Things like: “Would you like this in a PDF?” or other templated lines from AI outputs. 

It’s an instant red flag. 

2. Getting the journalist’s name wrong 

AI often mixes names, spelling or inserts multiple versions. Nothing annoys a journalist more than being called the wrong name. 

3. Using outdated or incorrect data 

AI sometimes generates information confidently, and inaccurately. 

4. Sending pitches that lack a point of view 

If the pitch doesn’t contain your perspective, it’s not a pitch. 

5. Letting AI bury the lead 

Journalists don’t have time to dig. If the hook isn’t upfront, they will stop reading. 

Why This Matters for Business Owners 

Journalists are more skeptical of AI than ever, and that trend is rising. 

If you want real earned media: 

• You must bring your opinion to the pitch 
   

• You must bring your voice 
   

• You must bring your humanity 
   

AI can support you. But you cannot outsource your thinking, your expertise, or your heart. 

That is what the media buys. And that is what the Masterclass teaches. 

Ready to Pitch With Confidence (Without Getting Black-Banned)? 

If you want journalists to take you seriously, you need to pitch like a human, not a bot. 

At the Meet the Press Masterclass, we teach you: 

• How journalists think 
   

• What they look for in a pitch 
   

• How to craft unique, irresistible angles 
   

• What AI can help with, and what it absolutely cannot 
   

• How to build genuine relationships with the media 
   

Join us in Sydney on 14 & 15 May and learn how to pitch in a way that stands out, feels authentic, and actually gets you coverage. 

Spaces are limited to keep the experience personalised.