The press release that will kill your reputation stone dead
1 in 3 businesses use AI to write press releases, and 1 in 5 admit they struggle to get their news and stories the media attention they want. It is no coincidence – journalists are alert to AI generated press releases and punishing businesses who use them.
The increased adoption of AI by internal marketing teams has been seen by many as a highly cost-effective way to generate online content at scale. Whilst LLM platforms such as ChaGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini can be effective at drafting blogs for company websites, for example, there is mounting evidence pointing to businesses using said platforms to create press releases. And it is going badly wrong.
Recent research shows that one in three businesses now use AI to write press releases, with a fifth of business reporting frustration over the lack of media coverage they are able to generate for their news stories. There is a very clear reason for this: journalists can detect a press release written by AI a mile off.
Spotting the signs of an AI-generated press release
The signs are plentiful yet most businesses relying on AI to create press releases appear to be unaware of them. Here are the giveaways that scream “AI wrote this”:
- Overly capitalised headlines e.g. The Press Release That Will Kill Your Reputation Stone Dead.
- Elongated hyphens and awkward punctuation e.g. The marketing department’s dilemma — how to win media coverage without paying a PR agency to do it.
- Hyperbolic language and bolded phrases e.g. ‘We’re super delighted to announce the launch of the revolutionary game-changing kiwi peeler that is set to take the grocery world by storm.’
- Short, staccato sentences e.g. ‘Journalists dislike AI. With a passion. They are ignoring press releases sent by businesses. Instead, they only want those sent by PR agencies. They can trust them to be authentic.’
- Tables and bullet points in an annual-report style e.g.
| Six ways PR agency’s deliver great value for clients: | They understand what journalists really want. |
| Agencies people are trained writers. |
- And the biggest red flag? Sensationalist, clickbait headlines e.g. ‘The morning routine mistake that could cost you your life.’
AI is a fantastic tool for sparking ideas and helping you articulate your thoughts. But read beyond the headline and you’ll often find a hollow story. Journalists know this and they’re increasingly frustrated by the influx of AI-generated press releases and commentary. One tech journalist recently said: “AI-generated comment is worse than useless to me.”
Why this matters
If the media suspects your press release was written by AI, your story dies – and potentially, so does your reputation. Journalists aren’t looking for polished, broadcast-quality copy. They just need the basics: what, why, when, where, and who. But they also need authenticity and clarity – something AI struggles to deliver without human oversight.
The right way to use AI
AI can absolutely support your thinking. Use it to brainstorm ideas, structure your content, or refine your tone. However, do not rely on it to create the narrative around your story. That’s your job. Your insights, your expertise, and your human perspective are what make your press release credible and compelling.
Overusing AI risks burning bridges with the very people you’re trying to reach. In PR, relationships matter – and trust is everything. If journalists feel they’re being fed machine-generated fluff, they’ll tune out. Permanently.
AI should be considered a starting point for your project, not the finished product. Your reputation – and your media coverage – depend on it.
If securing great media attention for your business is important to you, do not leave it to chance. Clearly PR is a retainer-free PR agency partner for multiple clients looking for support on a project-by-project basis.
Email Paul MacKenzie-Cummins directly on paul@clearlypr.co.uk or call him on 07453 755 057 and let’s talk about what you need and how we can help you.
