Press Releases in the Age of AI: Writing for Humans and Machines

Public relations and SEO now serve two audiences: people and algorithms. Welcome to a new chapter in the old story of public relations.

If you’ve ever written a press release and thought, “Well, at least a journalist will see this,” here’s a new reality check: it’s 2025, and your audience isn’t just human. Search engines like Google are now rolling out AI-generated search summaries and pulling the top highlights from your content and handing it over to readers before they can even click on a result. That means your press releases, as well as your other public relations content, need to serve two kinds of readers: the people (humans) who read them and the algorithms (robots) that decide whether the content is seen at all.

A May 2025 article in Forbes identified AI as one of the biggest forces shaping PR and marketing, from SEO optimization for Google’s new AI-driven search summaries to the automation of media monitoring, sentiment analysis and content creation. Industry experts noted that these tools not only demand new strategies for visibility but also enable more focused campaigns by analyzing massive amounts of data and delivering real-time insights into public sentiment.

It may sound intimidating, but the rise of AI is just another shift in an industry that has evolved with many technological transitions before: the development of the internet, the importance of social media and the changing landscape of traditional media. While it may feel like “robots” are stealing the spotlight, the core of PR remains unchanged: the art of shaping stories, building trust, and guiding perception has never been more valuable.

At Fletcher, we’re living this shift right alongside our clients. As a PR and marketing agency grounded in earned media, reputation management and integrated communications, we understand exactly how brands stay visible and credible in the emerging AI-driven landscape. Let’s shift gears and break down the why and the how.

Why Press Releases Still Matter

First, let’s get something straight: No matter how many tools, platforms, or shiny AI updates appear on the landscape, press releases are not going anywhere. Why? Because press releases are the backbone of reputation management and brand visibility, in that they offer clarity, credibility and consistency.

What does a strong press release do? Several things:

Shapes your narrative before someone else does
Provides journalists and influencers with facts they can cite
Helps your brand show up in search results, whether human eyes or AI bots are doing the reading
Serves as an archive of accountability for your organization.

The format may evolve, but the purpose remains the same. Think of it like coffee: Sure, you can make cold brew, espresso shots, coconut milk lattes, but at its core, it’s still coffee. A press release in 2025 is still about communicating who you are, what you’re doing and why people should care – the only difference is the “who” now must include algorithms.

Enter AI: The Curation Tool That’s Also a Double-Edged Sword

So here’s where the plot thickens. According to the aforementioned May 2025 Forbes article, as well as PRLab, AI-driven news curation is a reality we cannot ignore.

Google’s new feature summarizes query answers directly into search results, which may sound convenient, except when your carefully crafted press release gets trimmed down to a bite-sized blurb and risks you losing the heart of your message.

This shift means your content has to work harder. It’s no longer enough to sprinkle in keywords and hope for the SEO best. You need structure, clarity and a spark of storytelling that can make both humans and robots take notice. If your press release rambles, buries the lead, or skips over context, the algorithm won’t do you any favors.

Here’s the kicker: AI doesn’t always “get” nuance. Which is why balancing the technical side (SEO, formatting, readability) with the human side (emotion, connection, brand personality) is the real test. Could your current toolkit pass this balancing-act test in this changing landscape?

Shrinking Newsrooms, Growing Responsibility

Forbes also notes another tough trend to manage: shrinking media teams. With fewer journalists covering more beats, the old PR playbook of “just send it to the media outlets” doesn’t cut it anymore. Editorial opportunities are dwindling, and what used to be organic coverage now often requires paid promotion.

This makes your press releases even more important. If journalists are stretched thin, then your release must be clean, useful and easy to digest so it’s ready for copy-paste. You’re doing the heavy lifting for them, and in return, your story has a better chance of running.

For brands, it’s a reminder that reputation management is proactive, not reactive. You can’t wait for the media to come knocking; you need to provide thoughtful, credible content that fits seamlessly into this new, faster news cycle.

Writing For Humans: Keep it Simple, Make it Stick

Next, let’s talk craft. Humans – whether they’re journalists, clients, or your neighbor scrolling on their phone – want clarity. They want stories that matter. They want to feel something. Here’s what resonates:

Leads that matter: Don’t bury the lead in news. Give readers the what, why and who in the first two sentences.
Quotes with personality: If your CEO or client sounds like a robot, readers will tune out. Aim for authenticity, not jargon.
Data with context: Statistics are great, but what do they mean for your audience? Connect the dots with storytelling
Short sentences: In an attention-focused (or deficit) economy, less is more.

It’s also not about “dumbing things down.” It’s about simplifying the story to make it stick and respecting your readers’ time.

Writing For Machines: Think Structure and Clarity

Now, let’s switch gears. Simply put, AI doesn’t care about your clever pun. It cares about structure and context. That means:

Clear headings and subheadings: Organize your release so it’s scannable
Keyword integration: Yes, SEO still matters, but keep it natural and efficient
Short paragraphs: Algorithms (and people) prefer content that’s broken into digestible chunks.
Consistent formatting: Dates, names and numbers should be clear and standardized.

Think of it like cooking for a picky toddler. If you want the algorithm to serve your message up in search results, you have to make it easy to digest.

Where Fletcher Comes In

Here’s the truth: balancing all of this, including AI optimization, human storytelling, shrinking newsrooms and rising influencer culture, can seem overwhelming. That’s where Fletcher makes the difference.

We are a team rooted in earned media, reputation management and integrated communications. We believe in crafting messages that resonate across platforms, audiences and yes, even algorithms.

When you work with Fletcher, you get:

Press releases that perform: Written for journalists, audiences and AI systems alike.
Reputation management strategies: Keeping your brand consistent, credible and trustworthy.
Integrated communications: Connecting your PR, digital marketing and content strategies so they actually flow together.
Trend awareness: We don’t just keep up with shifts like AI curation; we plan for them.

We’re also keeping up with the changing tides. If your brand is still sending press releases that read like a fax from 1998, we’ll fix that. If your SEO strategy ignores how Google and other search engines are reshaping search, we’ll fix that too.

Why This New Chapter in PR Matters

Ignoring these changes isn’t an option. Brands that fail to adapt will quickly fall behind competitors who are embracing them. AI won’t wait, and neither will journalists.

Press releases are still powerful, but they’re evolving. Writing for both humans and algorithms is no longer optional; it’s essential.

So the next time you find yourself wondering whether a press release is worth the effort, remember: it’s not just about being seen, but also about being understood, trusted and recognized by the people who matter and the algorithms that deliver your story to them.

Fletcher knows how to wield the magic of integrated communications and help brands thrive in this balancing act. If you’re searching for a “marketing agency near me” or a” public relations company near me,” stop scrolling – you found us. We’re ready to help.

Ready to future-proof your brand and press releases? Let’s talk.