More than half of journalists now actively oppose receiving AI-generated pitches, according to Cision data, while a separate survey from Global Results Communications found 43% hold negative views because the pitches "read as a bot wrote it," lack perspective, and erode editorial trust. The backlash is growing louder as reporters see their inboxes flooded with generic, machine-written outreach that makes it harder for legitimate stories to get noticed.
Fortune's Diane Brady said the number of AI-generated pitches she receives has increased fivefold over the past year. The New York Times's Mike Isaac posted on X that he sends AI-written pitches directly to the trash. On LinkedIn, Sam Blum at Inc. compared those who use AI to write pitches to "the behavior of someone who wears clown shoes."
What reporters are saying about the AI pitch problem
Jordyn Holman at The New York Times described the situation bluntly: "Even before AI, many journalists' inboxes were overstuffed with pitches and outreaches. Unfortunately, our inboxes are now stuffed with AI-generated pitches and outreaches. That's a turnoff. For journalists, we value time spent communicating with real people."
The frustration stems from more than volume. Pitches written by tools like Claude or Gemini carry telltale signs that reporters recognize immediately. The format "[name] can speak to" followed by three or four bullet points is a dead giveaway. So is the "it's not this, it's that" framing that Roberto Torres of CIO Dive called out on LinkedIn. Even if a human wrote those patterns in the past, using them now risks landing on a reporter's blacklist.
Where AI actually helps in media relations
AI does have legitimate uses in PR work. It can research angles or help tighten an existing pitch. After writing a draft, a communicator might ask AI for ideas on a sharper intro or subject line, then pull one or two elements rather than using the full revision. The key distinction is using AI to improve something already written by a human, not to generate pitches from scratch.
For professionals building skills in this area, structured AI Media Relations training can clarify where the technology adds value and where it causes harm. The same goes for broader AI for PR & Communications resources that focus on practical applications beyond drafting outreach.
Relationships still determine who gets the story
Nick Lichtenberg at Fortune said, "If you build a relationship with me, where you can text me, even your annoying text is going to be more welcome than a long, terribly written pitch into my email. I'm a person on the other end of the line and so are you, and we can do business that way."
Julie Hyman of Yahoo Finance echoed the point: "I get hundreds of emails daily, many of them cold pitches from PR people I've never met. The ones I open and respond to most consistently are from people with whom I have a relationship." She added that exceptions exist for big CEOs or timely topics, but "in general, it's not the pitch that draws me in - it's the person first and pitch second."
The best media relations work happens when PR professionals read journalists' past articles, follow their work, and engage without always making a client ask. Reporters notice when someone has done the homework.
Why this matters for PR and communications professionals
Every generic AI pitch that lands in a journalist's inbox makes it harder for the next strong story to break through. The immediate takeaway is straightforward: do not use AI to write media pitches from scratch. Use it for research and refinement on drafts you have already written. The larger lesson is that media relations is built on human connection. When inboxes are saturated with bot-written outreach, the communicators who take time to build real relationships will be the ones whose pitches get opened and whose clients get covered.
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