Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
July 20, 2026
PR in 2026: Serving Two Audiences – Humans and AI
TLDR
- Gain an edge by optimizing PR for AI citations, as 30-45% of AI answers draw from earned media.
- PR now targets two audiences: readers and AI systems, requiring prompt research and reverse engineering of AI summaries.
- The human touch in PR—phone calls, events, relationships—becomes the key differentiator as AI floods pitches.
- HARO's report reveals 38 distinct PR practices for 2026, including machine relations alongside traditional media relations.
Impact - Why it Matters
This report matters because it reveals how public relations is fundamentally changing as AI systems become primary consumers of media content. For businesses, marketers, and communicators, understanding that PR now targets both human readers and AI summarization engines is crucial for maintaining visibility and credibility. The shift toward "machine relations" alongside traditional media relations means that optimizing content for AI citations is no longer optional but essential. Practitioners who ignore this dual audience risk losing relevance as their messages get filtered or ignored by AI-powered search and answer engines. Conversely, those who adapt can gain a competitive edge by ensuring their stories are cited by both humans and machines, thereby amplifying their reach and impact in an increasingly AI-driven information ecosystem.
Summary
In a rapidly evolving media landscape, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) has released a pivotal report titled "What is PR in 2026?" based on interviews with 39 public relations practitioners, from a 51-year veteran publicist to the founder of an AI-native agency. The report identifies 38 distinct practices organized across eight themes that now define the work of public relations. The central finding: PR now serves two audiences—the people who read a story and the AI systems that summarize it. Practitioners describe an emerging discipline of "machine relations" alongside media relations, while insisting that the human work machines cannot do has become the industry's differentiator.
Key findings include that AI answer engines are now a primary PR surface, with practitioners conducting prompt research, reverse engineering AI answer summaries, and optimizing content for citations. Earned media does double duty: one practitioner's 16-month analysis of 166 media placements found 84% landed in outlets with measurable AI visibility in large language models, and another agency found that 30-45% of AI prompt answers draw on editorial and earned media. The press landscape has fragmented into a longer tail, with op-eds, industry trade publications, independent Substacks, and source-request platforms replacing the single big-splash placement. Creators function as media outlets, with PR teams researching influencers like journalists and commissioning editorial-style content. As AI-generated pitches flood inboxes, the human layer is the differentiator, with practitioners returning to phone calls, in-person events, and long-term journalist relationships.
Brett Farmiloe, CEO of Featured, which owns and operates HARO, noted, "The biggest shift in 2026 is that every placement now has two audiences: the readers who see the story, and the machines that cite it. The practitioners in this report are mastering both." The report opens with Devon Blaine, a 51-year agency owner, who emphasizes that PR has always been about delivering a timely and honest message in an interesting way. The full report, including all 38 practices, eight themes, and a practitioner FAQ on AI, GEO, and measurement, is available at the provided link.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by Newsworthy.ai. Read the original source here, PR in 2026: Serving Two Audiences – Humans and AI
