University of Kwazulu-Natal

5 Key Takeaways From Muck Rack S State Of Ai In Pr Report

Bonisiwe Shabane
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5 key takeaways from muck rack s state of ai in pr report

In 2024 artificial intelligence investment and innovation exploded with $240 billion in total United States market capital spent. While the numbers and new advancements were impressive, 2025 is set to continue that growth trend with the largest tech companies expected to spend north of $300 billion on new technologies and datacenter buildouts. In the PR and marketing world, 2024 brought a rapid integration of these technologies into team workflows, helping streamline media relations, research, writing, data collection and more. To better understand AI’s real-world impact on PR pros, Muck Rack released a State of AI in PR Report, which dove into how teams are (and are not) using AI, the ethics of using... As an agency owner with more than 25 years of experience creating and running PR and content programs for B2B tech brands, here’s what stood out in the report to me, what feels a... Muck Rack’s report highlights that three out of four PR pros use generative AI at work, nearly triple the amount compared to 2023.

Yet, 55% of agencies still lack clear guidelines on how AI should (or shouldn’t) be used. We saw employees embrace AI tools early on (and encouraged it), which is why we implemented an AI Guidelines Policy in early 2023. We want employees to use these tools to enhance the work they do, but also make it clear that AI-generated content is NOT a replacement for doing actual work. Some key elements to consider in a policy include general usage principles, acceptable use of specific AI tools, a “do-not use” list (and why), best practices for prompts, and an approved tools list. One of the most common AI use cases shown in the report is brainstorming. When it comes to ideation, looking at a blank page can be intimidating and using AI can help spark ideas.

That’s fantastic, but don’t let AI be a crutch for all of your creative ideas. Building and learning your own creative process and applying that to PR is incredibly valuable. Encourage your teams to find a balance. On the flip side, it’s surprising that only 21% of PR pros use AI for journalist research. When used properly, AI can help find previous coverage from reporters, identify their interests, and recognize patterns in their articles. And tools like Muck Rack, Cision, Propel and others are rapidly rolling out tools that apply AI to media relations workflows, trends and research.

Teams can lean into these features, while still validating the results. As public relations professionals navigate an increasingly complex media landscape while preparing for upcoming budget cycles, Muck Rack’s 2025 State of PR report provides critical insights into the industry’s current trajectory and emerging challenges. The comprehensive study examines how PR teams are adapting to rapid technological change, particularly in AI adoption, while grappling with evolving earned media strategies and shifting social media dynamics that are reshaping how communications... AI usage is a trend that is increasing in the PR space. Muck Rack revealed that 59% of PR pros believe that AI would become more important in five years, highlighting it as a future priority. With AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E already being incorporated into over three-quarters of PR pros’ workflows, AI has showcased itself to be a tool that can be used as an assistant that...

However, the most successful AI implementation in PR requires strategic human oversight and sophisticated prompt engineering. While AI excels at generating ideas, drafting initial content and automating routine tasks, the nuanced understanding of brand voice, audience psychology and strategic messaging still demands a human touch. The professionals leading the pack aren’t just using AI – they’re directing it through precise prompts and maintaining quality control that ensures AI-generated content aligns with brand standards and communications objectives. This hybrid approach maximizes AI’s efficiency gains while preserving the authenticity and strategic thinking that define exceptional PR work. Securing earned coverage has become significantly more difficult for PR professionals, with an overwhelming 98% reporting that earned media is harder to obtain than before. One of the primary culprits is plummeting journalist response rates, cited by 72% of PR pros as a major obstacle, while 62% point to shrinking media lists in their relevant beats as coverage opportunities...

The traditional pathways to coverage are becoming increasingly narrow and competitive. The combination of reduced newsroom staff, overwhelmed journalists and fewer specialized beat reporters creates a perfect storm that requires PR professionals to fundamentally rethink their earned media strategies. The near-universal acknowledgment of these challenges underscores the critical need for more personalized and strategic approaches to media outreach in today’s constrained landscape. January 16, 2025 12:30 ET | Source: Muck Rack Muck Rack Miami, Jan. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Generative AI has become a cornerstone of public relations, with 75% of professionals using the technology.

Of those who use it, 78% say it boosts the quality of their work and 93% say it speeds up their work, according to Muck Rack’s third State of AI in PR report. The report surveyed over 1,000 PR professionals to explore how AI is shaping workflows and transforming PR and communications Top AI use cases in PR Brainstorming and writing tasks remain the top use cases for AI in PR. The survey revealed that 82% of professionals use AI for brainstorming, 72% leverage it for drafting content and 59% rely on it for research and crafting social media copy. Fifty-seven percent report utilizing at least one paid AI tool. There are some areas where AI is less frequently used.

Only 21% reported using AI to find journalists. Interestingly, PR pros edit AI output less frequently than in previous years. In 2024, 61% reported revising most of the text output; in 2025, this figure dropped by 10%. This shift likely reflects improvements in AI’s capabilities. As public relations professionals navigate an increasingly complex media landscape while preparing for upcoming budget cycles, Muck Rack’s 2025 State of PR report provides critical insights into the industry’s current trajectory and emerging challenges. The comprehensive study examines how PR teams are adapting to rapid technological change, particularly in AI adoption, while grappling with evolving earned media strategies and shifting social media dynamics that are reshaping how communications...

AI usage is a trend that is increasing in the PR space. Muck Rack revealed that 59% of PR pros believe that AI would become more important in five years, highlighting it as a future priority. With AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E already being incorporated into over three-quarters of PR pros’ workflows, AI has showcased itself to be a tool that can be used as an assistant that... However, the most successful AI implementation in PR requires strategic human oversight and sophisticated prompt engineering. While AI excels at generating ideas, drafting initial content and automating routine tasks, the nuanced understanding of brand voice, audience psychology and strategic messaging still demands a human touch. The professionals leading the pack aren’t just using AI – they’re directing it through precise prompts and maintaining quality control that ensures AI-generated content aligns with brand standards and communications objectives.

This hybrid approach maximizes AI’s efficiency gains while preserving the authenticity and strategic thinking that define exceptional PR work. Securing earned coverage has become significantly more difficult for PR professionals, with an overwhelming 98% reporting that earned media is harder to obtain than before. One of the primary culprits is plummeting journalist response rates, cited by 72% of PR pros as a major obstacle, while 62% point to shrinking media lists in their relevant beats as coverage opportunities... The traditional pathways to coverage are becoming increasingly narrow and competitive. The combination of reduced newsroom staff, overwhelmed journalists and fewer specialized beat reporters creates a perfect storm that requires PR professionals to fundamentally rethink their earned media strategies. The near-universal acknowledgment of these challenges underscores the critical need for more personalized and strategic approaches to media outreach in today’s constrained landscape.

Strategic Communications, Digital Media, and Branding Strategist | Public Affairs Liaison Recently, Muck Rack published their "State of AI in PR" report. I've attached a copy of the report below. PRNEWS recently published a story on the 5 key takeaways from the report: 1. Does your company have an AI use case policy? And if your company has an AI use policy, do you follow it?

2. 82% of PR pros use AI for tasks like brainstorming, while only 21% use it for journalist research. 3. PR pros already using AI say its biggest risk is to the next generation of PR. 4. 35% of companies offer AI training to employees.

5. 61% of PR pros say content will not be as original or creative. Read More: https://lnkd.in/ehSadTa9 Public Policy | Government Relations | Water & Wastewater Industry Advocate | Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Some interesting statistics here. Thanks for sharing !

AI in PR: Friend or Foe? 🤖 AI is changing how we work, create and communicate, but in PR, it’s not about replacing human connection, it’s about amplifying it. Our latest blog explores how automation and AI are reshaping the PR landscape, and the best ways to integrate them effectively (without losing the human touch). Swipe to see our tips for integrating AI in PR, and read the full piece here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g8yBU4CP #PublicRelations #AIMarketing #DigitalPR #ArdentCommunications #ArdentInsights Obvious statement: 2023 was a breakout year for generative AI. Its impact was felt everywhere, and the PR business was no exception.

Midway through 2023, I wrote a blog post on why tech is important to PR, including a section on “the chatbot in the room,” aka generative AI. TL/DR version: AI is to PR now what social media was to PR in the early aughts. It will dramatically influence communications and provide new avenues for PR – but only for those professionals who choose to harness it. In other words, when it comes to PR and generative AI, I’m skeptical about deep adoption across the industry. I anticipate a growing rift between PR practitioners who embrace generative AI and those who will choose to just keep doing things the way they’ve always done them. So when media database Muck Rack released the “State of AI in PR January 2024,” I was curious to see if the data would support my theory.

Muck Rack’s latest State of AI in PR report was released earlier this month. It surveyed 1,001 PR professionals from November 2 through December 14. According to the report, “The goal of this survey is to deliver insights to the PR industry to help improve the workflow of public relations professionals, particularly around the rapidly expanding field of generative... Each week we’ll gather headlines and tips to keep you current with how generative AI affects PR and the world at large. If you have ideas on how to improve the newsletter, let us know! A new Muck Rack report confirms what many PR pros have suspected for months: Media coverage is even more valuable as more people turn to generative AI to search for information.

Muck Rack analyzed more than a million links cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude across hundreds of thousands of queries and found that more than 95% of AI-cited links are non-paid sources, and more... The bots may be artificial, but their trust in news is very real and it’s driving more than citations. Google is still the web traffic king — it sent 191 billion referrals to the top 1,000 websites last month, according to data from Similarweb — but referrals from AI tools grew 357% year... Traditional media relations has always prized top-tier coverage. That’s still valuable, but AI models are now elevating trade publications, too. In finance, Claude cited unique sources in 90% of its top 10 domains.

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