Emphasizing a Focus On Humanizing Media Relations

There is one constant in the ever-changing media relations world: that of authentic, personalized communication with journalists. In 2025, pitching stories should be more focused on detail, not automation and volume, to build a relationship with the press.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has certainly changed many aspects of communication from data collection to content development. Its applications are infinite, but AI as a pitch writer for the media is overstepping the mark. There’s no difficulty for journalists to spot when a pitch is inhuman. Artificially generated pitching is also hardly ever the way to communicate in a way that can reach a specific audience. This makes pitches feel detached or cold, two traits with a good shot of getting ignored or worse, getting the pitch writer banned by a journalist.

A good pitch should not only communicate the importance of the story but also the time one takes to learn the journalist’s work and hobbies. This cannot be automated. By artificial intelligence creating a pitch, media relations is lost because media relations equate to human relationships.

“Spray and pray” pitching – sending the same bland script to a sea of journalists – is another trap to avoid. It sounds efficient, but it actually ends up ruining relationships with journalists. Most people who get a mass pitch can tell what it is and toss it in the trash.

Emails bombard journalists today. A few receive hundreds of pitches every day, recent surveys show. What’s important to differentiate is not volume; it’s relevancy. Pitch writers owe it to themselves to learn about journalists’ beat, read what they’ve published recently and make pitches suited to their interests and style of reporting.

Personalization begins with research. To find journalists for a pitch, one should:

• Learn Their Beat: Read what they write about often. If a journalist writes about cybersecurity law, for instance, a pitch on ransomware trends would be more interesting than a pitch on all things IT.

• Read What They’re Saying: Read their latest posts to get a feel for what they are saying, the voice they are using and what interests them.

• Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media outlets let you know what reporters are in the market for right now, so you can build your pitch around it.

• Use AI to Research – Not Write: AI can help you learn what’s trending amongst journalists, make lists of journalists based on their bylines and figure out the key themes in their recent content. This research can save you time and make your pitches more targeted.

Responsibly deployed, AI makes possible the infrastructure of targeted outreach. But the pitch itself should remain on human shoulders.

Even in the ultra-fast digital world, journalists care more than ever about authenticity. A well-studied, thoughtfully designed pitch not only increases one’s odds of coverage but also builds relationships for the long run. If a journalist feels listened to and respected, they’ll follow an individual on their pitches in the future.

One should not only pitch but also think about how to develop connections elsewhere:

• Connect on social media when appropriate: Comment on their articles and share your appreciation of it.

• Don’t expect a sell: Don’t always ask for press coverage from journalists, but instead provide information, data or industry connections.

• Still meet in person when fitting: If possible, go to industry events or conferences where you can meet in person. Such close relationships can last an entire career.

Humanizing media relations is more than just a trend: it’s an absolute must. Successful media relations in 2025 relies on the transition from robotic, cold, impersonal processes to investing in authenticity and connection.

For companies working with Zintel Public Relations, this transition is an opportunity to get noticed. Your media outreach will get better results if you concentrate on targeted pitches and genuine connections.

Zintel Public Relations is dedicated to rigorous research, thoughtful customization and long-term connections with journalists, so your story gets noticed. For more media planning tips for cybersecurity and other technology businesses, contact Zintel Public Relations today at info@zintelpr.com.