EP2: Safa Yakoob on managing the media, AI in PR, and what makes a good leader
In the second episode of the Put a Fork In It podcast, CNME's Mark Forker speaks with Safa Yakoob, Account Director at Weber Shandwick. The conversation gets right to the point: how to manage press relationships without breaking trust, what AI actually helps with in PR, and how leadership shows up in agency life when deadlines are tight and expectations are high.
Managing the media without burning bridges
Friction between PR and journalism is real. Yakoob talks about moving from "pushing" to "partnering." That means respecting how newsrooms work and delivering value that makes a story better, not heavier.
- Lead with the angle, not the agenda. One line on why it matters now, then the proof.
- Bring assets that make reporting easier: clean data, clear quotes, a human story, visual support.
- Use embargoes and exclusives with intent. Make the journalist's job easier, or don't send it.
- Prep spokespeople to give short, on-record clarity. No waffle. No jargon.
- Be accountable post-pitch. Fast follow-ups, honest no's, and tight approvals.
Balancing client expectations with editorial reality
The job is a tension game: protect credibility while serving the brief. Yakoob frames this as setting expectations early and backing them with market and newsroom insight.
- Set outcomes (audience, message, behavior) before outputs (coverage count).
- Pressure-test newsworthiness. If it's not new, add data, a POV, or a customer angle.
- Say no to off-target asks and offer a better route: thought leadership, owned content, or timing shift.
- Measure what matters: quality of placement, message pull-through, and action taken.
AI in PR: useful-with boundaries
AI speeds up monitoring, research, outlines, and first-draft options. It doesn't replace judgment, voice, or relationships. Treat it like an assistant, not an author.
- Use it for media list enrichment, coverage summaries, sentiment snapshots, and content ideation.
- Never paste outputs as-is. Fact-check, refine tone, localize, and add nuance.
- Document where AI was used. Keep a simple log for compliance and client clarity.
- Train teams on prompt quality and risk checks (hallucinations, bias, confidentiality).
If you need guidelines, see industry work from CIPR's AI in PR panel for practical guardrails and ethics. CIPR AI in PR
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Are soft skills eroding? Only if we let them
There's a real concern that new talent leans on tools and loses touch with the craft. The fix is simple: build habits that sharpen judgment and relationships.
- Call one journalist a week with genuine value, no ask.
- Write a two-sentence pitch daily. Edit until it's clear, specific, and timely.
- Run "red-team" reviews: ask "Why would a journalist care today?"
- Practice live interviews with peers-fast answers, no fluff, quotable lines.
What good leadership looks like in agency life
Yakoob points to clarity, context, and coaching. Teams move faster when they know the why, where they're headed, and how they'll be supported under pressure.
- Set weekly three: the outcomes that must happen, and what "good" looks like.
- Hold short 1:1s focused on blocks, feedback, and client reality-not status theater.
- Protect deep-work windows before major launches. Fewer approvals, tighter briefs.
- Run quick after-action reviews: what worked, what didn't, what we'll change next time.
- Celebrate results and learning, not just effort. Keep standards high and human.
Quick checklist from the episode
- Pitch the angle, prove it with evidence, and make reporting easier.
- Align clients to outcomes, not vanity metrics.
- Use AI for speed; keep humans for voice, accuracy, and relationships.
- Train soft skills on purpose-don't outsource your judgment.
- Lead with clarity, feedback, and focus time.
Safa Yakoob's message is clear: earn attention, protect trust, and build teams that think. Tools help, but the craft wins.
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