We’ve all heard the line lately: “Why pay an agency when ChatGPT can write the press release?”
Shakespeare Goes Turbo: ChatGPT spits out texts in seconds, organizes chaotic thoughts – fast, clever, always available. But true creative sparks only come from humans
It’s an easy assumption to make. AI is fast, sounds polished, and never runs out of steam. And yes, it can produce slick copy, full of familiar buzzwords and impressive-sounding phrasing. It often looks good at first glance… but still misses the point.
A ChatGPT-generated press release might appear solid, but often ends up in the bin. And in some cases, it quietly earns you a place on a spam list.
Because without input from someone who understands how media works – what makes a story relevant, how timing plays a role, and which tone will resonate – it simply doesn’t deliver. AI mimics structure. It mirrors tone. But it doesn’t grasp the message.
AI doesn’t ask the essential human questions: Why now? Why is this relevant? Is this even a story? It doesn’t distinguish between a product update and actual news — and it certainly doesn’t know how to make it interesting for editors.
A good PR professional does. They spot the angle others miss. They shape stories to fit the moment and the medium. And they know that the success of a press release lies not in how it reads, but in how it connects with the real world — and with the people who decide what gets published.
Yes, AI can suggest phrasing and tidy up grammar. But it can’t follow the news cycle, predict how a message might be received, or tailor a pitch for a specific journalist. It reacts to prompts. That’s all.
Between headlines and code lines: Artificial intelligence like ChatGPT delivers information in seconds, but it cannot replace what lies within these newspapers – human emotion, journalistic intuition, and a sense for the right tone
An AI-generated text may have clean structure, no typos, and a passable tone – but what really counts is real insight, timed to market relevance, and a message crafted for a specific media target.
A ChatGPT text reads like content. A press release should read like news.
Editors receive hundreds of press releases each week. Most don’t make it past the subject line. The ones that do usually come from names they know — or from professionals who understand what an editor needs before they’ve even asked.
AI can format a release. But it can’t build relationships. It doesn’t follow up. It doesn’t think, “This angle isn’t right for her, but it might work for him.”
Experienced communicators know what not to say. We see when a claim is overstated, when a sentence might create legal issues, or when a message could unintentionally miss the mark. AI doesn’t. It recycles what it’s learned online – even if it’s wrong, out of context, or potentially damaging.
Most journalists can spot an AI-written text within seconds. The tone is slightly off. The structure too mechanical. The insight missing.
Some are indifferent. Many are already tired of it. And a growing number are openly hostile — because they see it not just as low-effort, but as a threat to their profession.
AI is a brilliant tool. It can help shape headlines, draft copy, even suggest structure. But it still needs expert guidance — especially in media relations, where timing, tone, instinct, and trust are everything.
AI can help you write but if you want to be read, remembered, and taken seriously, you still need someone who knows how the story should be told.
