Artificial intelligence is reshaping public relations, but the profession’s longstanding challenges aren’t easing. PR pros are working long hours, struggling to get reporters to respond and learning how to optimize content for AI search, according to Muck Rack’s latest “State of PR” report.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of PR professionals say generative-engine optimization (GEO) is at least somewhat important to their communications strategy, even as 29% say no one at their organization is responsible for it.
Generative-engine optimization is the practice of making content easier for artificial intelligence systems to find, understand and reference in their responses. Large-language models such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini rely on context, authority, recentness, and factual accuracy when deciding what information to cite.
Among PR professionals surveyed by Muck Rack, 39% say they are not measuring GEO at all, even though 45% cite media measurement and reporting as a major part of their work.
Among those tracking generative-engine optimization, 25% monitor brand mentions in AI-generated responses. Some 17% monitor referral traffic from AI tools, while another 17% track earned-media placements tied to AI visibility.
AI is reshaping communications strategy.
As organizations adapt to AI search, communicators are also adjusting their media strategies.
Some 55% of PR professionals say they are securing coverage in high-authority publications to improve visibility in AI-generated responses. Half say they are creating more authoritative, data-driven content and optimizing it for search.
The report also found that 80% of PR pros already use generative AI in their workflow, while 61% expect AI and automation to grow in importance over the next five years.
LinkedIn remains the dominant social platform for communicators. It is included in 87% of communications strategies, followed by Instagram at 72%. Additionally, 60% of respondents identified LinkedIn as the most valuable social platform for their work.
More than half (51%) of respondents say that creating thought-leadership content now accounts for at least one-quarter of their work, a 6-point increase from last year.
Media relations remains challenging.
Even as AI changes communications strategies, traditional media relations remain at the center of the profession.
Some 55% of PR professionals say securing coverage in high-authority publications is their most common tactic for improving AI visibility. Yet arranging earned media has become increasingly difficult. Nearly half (49%) of PR pros say they pitch more than 20 journalists per campaign, while 71% report low response rates from journalists and 61% cite shrinking media lists in relevant beats.
Online and digital outlets remain the most commonly pitched media type, selected by 91% of respondents. Traditional media continue to receive significant outreach as well, with newspapers (69%), magazines (64%), television (60%) and podcasts (57%) all remaining common targets.
Long hours continue to define PR work.
The demands of the profession continue to extend beyond the traditional workday.
More than half (55%) of respondents reported working more than 40 hours in the previous week. After-hours work remains commonplace, with 77% reporting working outside regular business hours at least once that week. Nearly half (47%) did so one or two days, while 30% worked late nights, early mornings or weekends at least three days.
The workload appears to be taking a toll. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents rated their work stress as high.
The report suggests that while AI is becoming a standard part of communications practice, the fundamentals of public relations remain the same. Building relationships with journalists, producing authoritative content and demonstrating measurable results continue to be the foundation of successful PR — even as AI increasingly influences how audiences discover information.
Illustration credit: Yuliia
