Conor Sheeran

Atlanta Journal-Constitution's shift is bold. Copycats risk missing the point. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced it will publish its last print edition at the end of this year and move fully digital. I sat in on a newsletter session led by the AJC folks at the ONA conference a couple years ago, and it was clear they’re doing some really innovative work. Like all of us, they see their future in digital, and they’re leaning into it. It will be fun and educational to watch how they navigate this new era. Print, though, is still a significant piece of revenue for many publishers. Too often, the push to “go digital” has meant tripping over print dollars to chase increasingly competitive digital dimes. I’ve also worked in newsrooms that chased the “digital first” mantra, but without the resources to sustain it. Some management teams seemed to believe that cutting back print also meant you could cut into newsrooms — but that simply doesn’t hold up. If anything, strong digital products demand more investment in local reporting, not less. Atlanta may thrive with an all-digital strategy — they seem to have a plan. I agree there’s still plenty of opportunity for print in that market. By stepping away, AJC is leaving money on the table that smaller, more nimble publications may be glad to scoop up. It could even open the door to a renaissance for community print publications in Atlanta’s wake. For many of us, the future will continue to be a mix of print and digital. I believe we can do both well — and continue to make a strong business case for it. My hope is that this moment in Atlanta doesn’t spark a wave of companies rushing to go “all digital” without the same kind of vision and investment. AJC appears to know where it’s headed. Too many others, sadly, don’t — and digital-only without a real plan won’t get them there.

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Worth paying attention to this warning shared by Dominic Ponsford, editor of Press Gazette as a clear signal to the PR industry about where things are heading and what behaviour will increasingly attract scepticism rather than coverage. As we all know, AI is becoming embedded in PR workflows. Used properly, it’s powerful. Used badly, it becomes a credibility liability. AI should not be used to invent experts or commentary, generate insight that no real person stands behind or create content purely to gain media coverage. Everyone should be asking tougher questions: Who is accountable for this insight? Can the sources be verified? Would this stand up if a journalist dug deeper? Journalists are far better at spotting AI-generated content than many assume. Once a brand or agency is flagged as unreliable, every future pitch is viewed through that lens. I said last year in my 2026 predictions that trust is the number-one currency. That hasn’t changed and if anything, this just goes to show it’s becoming more valuable by the day.

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I'm giving a presentation soon to a group of journalists about how they can better interact with PR pros -- foster trust, get better comments, all that good stuff. So PR pros: What would *you* tell these folks? May use the comments in my deck.

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10 ways to use press releases on the wire that actually have generative search impact we’re in a once-in-a-generation visibility window. right now, ai engines like chatgpt, gemini, and perplexity are still training on public web data, including press releases published on *certain* wire services. stop just thinking about wire releases for announcements. start thinking about them as training data for your brand. here’s how to use the wire to make that impact 👇 1️⃣ write for prompts only ai engines map headlines to questions. so when you write in the shape of a question, you’re creating a direct bridge between what people ask and what ai answers. this means you can use prompt-impact headlines in two ways: 1 - to influence a prompt so ai learns to associate your brand with that concept or topic (“what is ai pr?” → zen media) 2 - to promote something “common” — like a webinar, report, or announcement to impact ai search visibility at the same time. example: 🟥 bad: “zen media announces ai pr webinar.” 🟩 good: “how can brands future-proof for ai search? zen media hosts a free webinar on..." same event. same purpose. but the second headline connects your brand to a live prompt people are already asking. 2️⃣ build deep backlinks. don't link just to your homepage. that’s a waste. deep backlinks tell them where your brand’s expertise truly lives. what to link: -framework or product pages -leadership bios -data studies or research 3️⃣ add a short faq section. 3–7 q&as written in clear, natural language. these are machine-readable gold. they give ai structured context and language to reuse in answers. these are non-promotional but tied to your own prompt universe. 4️⃣ use clear section labels. WHAT / WHEN / WHY / QUOTE / ABOUT. headers are metadata. ai uses them to categorize content and understand structure. 5️⃣ make it evergreen. remove “today announced” or “breaking news.” ai doesn’t care about time. 6️⃣ always include visuals with alt text. llms use image descriptions to understand context. so, "unnamed.jpg" does nothing for you. 7️⃣ connect your topics. link older releases or related assets. repeated topics across multiple releases build what ai interprets as authority clusters. 8️⃣ craft quotable lines. add one or two statements that stand alone. those sentences often get pulled into summaries and generated content. 9️⃣ cross-link forward and backward. add “see related release” or “read next.” each link ties your releases into an interconnected network. 🔟 refresh every 30 days. most ai models update or “refresh” their web memory roughly every 4–6 weeks. publishing at least one structured, prompt-aligned release every 30 days ensures your brand remains in the active training window. the wire is one of the most powerful ai visibility tools you have right now. #generativesearch #ai #publicrelations #pr #visibility #answerengineoptimization

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People who are already in shopping locations are more likely to interact with adverts-- and with more accurate location data becoming available, advertisers can make use of these findings at every stage in the sales funnel. https://lnkd.in/e9E48jCv

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Everybody in journalism knows that media consumption patterns are changing. The big question is how to respond to that. I found this new report extremely helpful in thinking through the issue. One key takeaway: News producers can't simply take traditional reporting and retrofit it for various platforms; we have to design journalism with distribution in mind from the outset. https://lnkd.in/grsSNHcE

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Editors are paying writers $150, $240, $600, and even $2,500+ for stories they want pitched right now. And most people never see these opportunities because they’re buried in editor callouts, Substacks, and industry threads. Every week, I curate the best open pitch calls inside my newsletter (I dropped the full list underneath this post). This week’s roundup has 20+ opportunities; these 5 are my fave: 1. WIRED: Editors are accepting science pitches right now — especially stories tied to climate, discoveries, and fields “under attack.” Fees start around $2,500+. 2. Travel + Leisure: Looking for travel features about misunderstood destinations, places in transition, and fresh perspectives on culture and travel. Rates are typically $0.75–$1/word. 3. Business Insider: They want highly specific first-person stories and experiential essays — unusual travel experiences, money-saving strategies, cruises, trains, lounges, aviation, and more. Pay ranges from about $240–$300+ depending on the assignment. 4. Greater Good Magazine: Looking for research-grounded essays tied to holidays like Father’s Day and Juneteenth, centered on themes like resilience, love, gratitude, and connection. Particularly interested in essays from fathers who don’t live with their children. Starts at $300 or $0.25/word. 5. Bolts: Seeking reporting on voting rights, criminal justice, local politics, policymaking, and organizing across the U.S. Pays around $800/piece and is especially interested in stories grounded in state and local issues.s. Also, these opportunities aren’t just for freelance writers. Founders, consultants, creatives, and business owners can use bylined media strategically too. Some of the best thought leadership pieces come from people with firsthand experience and a strong point of view. I dropped the full list underneath this post. #freelancewritinggigs #thoughtleadership #freelancewriting

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When media folks complain about their inboxes getting overrun with "AI pitches" and their submissions folders become full of "AI slop," my suggestion is always... Delete all the pitches, and design a more productive system that involves journalists proactively seeking out better stories. Cultivate new sources rather than the same old PR. People who are actively seeking media attention aren't working on anything meaningful anyway. The folks who are too busy to bother with media outreach are doing more consequential work. That's it! If you don't want to wade in a sea of slop, you can opt out and choose something better. Same goes for your inbox. If you get a lot of email, unsubscribe and take control of what you take in. You're a grownup. You can manage your email.

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Not only are newsrooms continuing to evolve (often, sadly shrinking), but journalists-turned-personalities-turned-creators is also upending the news ecosystem. PR is still a core strategy for many clients (and it works!!), but, the playbook is different. As we build media lists for clients, we have to extend beyond the traditional media -- even beyond traditional *digital* media -- and think about how these new forms of journalism are shaping media narratives. "This creator economy isn’t really structurally capable of confronting authority in the way that old-school newspapers and magazines were. It’s best suited to criticism, gossip, and commentary, the meta-narrative of the news. But the people who are embracing this model — do we call it the Journalist Best Friend? — are accruing the most power the fastest right now." https://lnkd.in/gZv8HrBg

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“At this point, unless the press release is from someone I know and trust ... I’m not even going to open that email.” The ASBPE webinar "Navigating AI's Impact on Editorial" had lots of great nuggets on how B2B journalists are adapting to an environment where AI is reshaping the media landscape. One change that Maria Korolov, technology journalist & author, pointed out: a rise in press releases from random people—some claiming to be the CEO of a company—that point to questionable resources: a website created just days ago; customer testimonials that appear to be fake. In this era of B2B publishing, "It's like the human connections and the trust are now my primary filter, because I'm getting swamped by press releases and LinkedIn requests. Like, absolutely swamped. I mean, I was swamped before, but now it's, like, absolutely insane," she said. With trust as her primary filter, "If I don't have a bunch of people in common with you, or if I don't recognize the company that you're from, or if you haven't bothered to hire a PR company that I recognize, I am not going to even open this email." At a time when I'm seeing discussions online about the use of AI to strengthen storytelling in press releases, Korolov's comments caught my attention. Other takeaways for writers, editors and communications professionals that I found valuable: ⭐ Advice for writers in a world where AI-generated content is becoming more prevalent: “What is it that makes us uniquely human that AI cannot replicate? Lean into that.” ⭐ "Brand authority, the reputation of the sender, of the author, whomever, is going to be essential," said Alexis Gajewski, Associate Director of Newsroom Operations, EndeavorB2B. It's one reason why building a personal brand has increased in importance for B2B writers. So has communicating with readers, says Priyanka Rao, founder & CEO, AI Champions. "Readers are getting more sophisticated and more cynical as well, because they know that they don't want to just read a puff piece written by AI," she said. ⭐ One question writers must continually ask themselves is: "Are you distinguishable from AI?" panelists agreed. This means ensuring your personality comes through in your writing, where possible and where appropriate. The discussion was moderated by Brendan Howard. If you're an ASBPE member: This is a great webinar to watch! #B2B #writing #editing #communications #AI

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Interesting new report from Jasper re: "The State of AI in Marketing 2026." Bottom line? AI is no longer a creative shortcut: it's infrastructure. For agencies and in-house teams advising clients, success now depends on treating AI like any other core system: with clear ownership, embedded governance, disciplined measurement, and workflows designed for scale. In 2026, the organizations that get AI will definitely create more content... AND they’ll protect trust, move faster with confidence, and deliver measurable results: https://lnkd.in/eUQAVvJf

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And here it is. Quick thoughts on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed changes to quarterly reporting requirements from a communications lens: First, the comments will be substantive, but also somewhat performative. Arguments won’t just be made to the SEC; they’ll be made to journalists, clients, shareholders, analysts, competitors, legislators, and, of course, the rest of the Administration. Second, framing is critically important: is this about reducing short-termism or reducing transparency? About long-term value creation or diminished market discipline? Market participants with a point of view and some communications chops will shape those narratives long before we see final rule text. Third, the communications cycle will run in parallel with the comment period. The media will cover interesting perspectives, and they’ll try to figure out where the SEC is heading early on. Trade groups will try to define the center of gravity. And public company executives may find themselves pulled into the conversation whether they planned to be or not. Fourth, there’s a non-trivial chance this ends up in litigation. That risk was a feature of rulemaking during the Gensler era, but this proposal introduces a different dynamic. Industry and institutional views are unlikely to align on one side. Both proponents and opponents will have the resources to challenge the SEC’s final rule. Whether they actually do so in the current political environment is an open question. Either way, the record that is established now will inform litigation communications if and when the time comes. Finally, it’s notable that one of the earliest major proposals from this SEC wasn’t even on its agenda a few months ago. When a single social media post can have so much influence on our capital markets, it goes to show how important communications is.

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B2B has its nuances, but integrity still matters. With AI content, rapid-fire social posts and increasingly sophisticated PR engines, it’s more critical than ever that editors put readers first. That can mean maintaining separation between sales and editorial, being transparent when content is sponsored (an FTC requirement), treating press releases as starting points not turnkey features, using AI as an assistant rather than a writer, or simply saying “no” when a pitch doesn’t truly serve your audience. The basic tenets of journalism apply. Yes it’s tempting (and sometimes unavoidable) to cut corners on deadline, but this often comes at a cost. It’s not that potential advertisers don’t have stories worth telling—they absolutely do! That's why dedicated product sections, profiles, buyers’ guides and sponsored content exist. Engaged readers become better-informed buyers. But when editorial reads like veiled promos, trust erodes. You can support an industry—including its suppliers—without being an extension of its marketing department. In fact, you’ll serve it better if you don’t. B2B editors and comms professionals: What standards or guidelines have helped you maintain integrity in your work?

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The Reuters Institute 2026 Trends Report reinforces several shifts that corporate content teams are already grappling with, and makes them harder to ignore. If corporate content is going to cut through, it increasingly needs to follow the lead of high-end journalism. According to the report: - General news consumption is falling significantly. - Original investigations, human stories and contextual analysis are finding favour. - Content needs to be in-depth and designed with AEO (answer engine optimisation) in mind if it is to be surfaced by search. It’s worth remembering that content is now routinely pulled apart and reduced to a handful of bullet points by AI summaries, often without anyone clicking through to the source. In many cases, that summary will be all people ever see of your story. The report found that newsrooms are responding by emphasising distinctiveness and depth: strong overarching narratives disseminated through a suite of assets, not just a single article. What’s happening in journalism is a useful pointer for corporate content. Original stories, researched in depth through interviews, need to be packaged into multiple formats, and the underlying content must be more explicit and highly structured. Why interviews, rather than research alone? Because interviews are where the gold dust appears: the non-obvious detail, the tension, the context that doesn’t surface in documents. That’s where distinctive narratives still come from. #ContentStrategy #CorporateCommunications #Storytelling

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AI is a comms pro’s best friend in a crisis. Even when you have a plan, a crisis turns your day (or week, or longer) into a mad scramble. If you don’t have a crisis plan or your crisis handbook hasn’t been updated since 1986, there’s a lot to figure out before you can even start communicating. Customers, investors, partners, employees, the media, and others are waiting to hear from you. You need to get the facts and the message right, and draft emails, statements, press releases, and other communications as soon as possible. Now you can get the bulk of that work done in a few minutes with AI. Gregory FCA released a new tool today called CrisisCalm that channels the firm’s 35 years of experience handling every type of crisis in every industry into an AI platform that makes you more responsive and strategic when a crisis hits. It’s ready and waiting, informed with all the context on your company, your key stakeholders, past crises, past communications, and other background so it can respond in your voice with a full understanding of the situation. It generates a plan based on the crisis and drafts the communications you need in just a few minutes. You can focus on strategy and refining the message instead of trying to skim through your doorstopper crisis manual. My favorite AI applications are things that weren’t possible before, and this is one of them. It gives you a head start when your reputation is at risk, and that can make all the difference when every minute counts. Too many companies drop the ball and respond to a crisis too slowly or with mixed messages. CrisisCalm makes sure you’re responsive, clear, and consistent from the start. Take a look at the links below.

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Great piece from Volt by Danielle Ford on optimizing content for #AEO—insightful and perfectly timed. As its’s official! Electric Kite has joined the AEO Partner Program with Semrush. As organic traffic starts to flatline—and in some cases decline—the need for meaningful data to optimize your #AEO and #GEO strategies is the next #content frontier. Excited to partner with Alex Solarski and Ryan Jacobs and to take our clients on this #AI powered journey.

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The media landscape is shifting fast... and that creates both risks and opportunities for comms teams. After more than 25 years in national newsrooms, Dan Townend has seen gatekeeping move from editors’ desks to algorithms. Google updates and AI summaries can wipe out traffic overnight. But there’s a flip side. Original reporting, fresh insight and genuinely useful content are being rewarded again. In the newest edition of Off the Record, Dan breaks down what’s really happening inside the media industry (from legacy platforms to new tech) and what it means for comms pros. His weekly analysis of the media sector will be available every Thursday. Link to read the piece in comment section below 👇

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Good points. But ad transparency tools should not be just for nonprofits. The most constructive users of these tools will be trademark monitoring firms looking for infringing uses of real brand assets by scammers. Right now, Wells Fargo can't hire a company to check for and report all ads on Facebook and Instagram using a Wells Fargo logo—which is a huge problem for them because they're going to get calls from customers who already took some costly action based on fake Wells Fargo, and blame the real one. Also it's pretty clear that Section 230 does not apply when the platform takes a deliberate action to match a user with a scam advertiser—the Calise v. Meta case is a good example.

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If you worked as a journalist for a long time you know how to do sales - every pitch to your editor was a mini-sale. If you published articles on a CMS you know how to do real-time QA on the fly (Dude, I know). If you've ever appeared on a podcast you're halfway to learning audio production. TLDR; you have way more many job skills than you know you have.

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