As AI becomes the go-to way for people to discover information, brands are paying closer attention to what influences the answers these platforms generate.
A recent report from Muck Rack, What is AI Reading?, analyzed more than 25 million links cited across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, offering a clearer picture of how AI systems source information and which types of content they trust most.
We analyzed the report and called out the most glaring findings from a media relations perspective.
AI Relies Heavily on Earned Media
One of the strongest findings from the report was that AI systems overwhelmingly rely on non-paid, third-party sources when generating responses.
About 99% of cited links came from non-paid media sources, while approximately 84% came from earned media, including journalism, academic research, government sources, and third-party content.
In other words, AI is not primarily pulling from advertisements or branded messaging. It is pulling from credibility.
We see this firsthand with our #GoodClient Goodwill South Florida. When asking AI platforms about the organization, responses frequently reference earned media coverage highlighting the nonprofit’s growth and community impact. In several instances, coverage surrounding Goodwill South Florida’s Tamarac store opening surfaced as a cited source, helping provide context around the organization’s expansion.
For years, earned media has helped brands build authority through third-party validation. Now, those same placements are increasingly shaping how AI platforms understand, summarize, and recommend brands online.
Journalism Still Holds Significant Value
Despite ongoing conversations around AI replacing traditional media, journalism remains one of the most influential source categories across AI-generated responses.
The report found that approximately 27% of all AI citations came from journalistic sources. More importantly, industry trend-related questions relied on journalism significantly more than “how-to” style searches.
When users ask AI platforms what is happening within an industry, those systems often turn to recent news coverage, reporter analysis, and published media stories to construct responses.
This reinforces a growing reality for PR professionals: earned media is no longer only influencing public perception. It is also influencing machine-generated perception.
Local and Trade Media Matter More Than Brands Realize
One of the more interesting findings from the report was the diversity of outlets being cited.
AI systems are not only referencing major national publications. Citations were distributed across thousands of outlets, including trade publications, niche industry sites, and local media organizations.
For brands, this reinforces the importance of a diversified media strategy.
National media may build broad awareness, but local and trade coverage help establish relevance and authority within specific industries and geographic markets. Together, those placements create a stronger digital footprint that AI systems can reference and interpret. It’s just another reminder on why a holistic media strategy is crucial, and why brands should not ignore the power of local PR.
This is especially important for industries like real estate, hospitality, healthcare, education, and community-driven organizations, where local relevance heavily influences visibility and trust.
Press Releases Still Serve a Purpose
The report also challenged another common industry narrative: that press releases no longer matter.
While press release citations represented a relatively small percentage of overall AI citations, they appeared most frequently in industry trend-related searches.
That distinction matters.
When used strategically, press releases still contribute searchable, structured information that helps reinforce industry positioning, announcements, and timely company updates. They remain one piece of a broader media ecosystem rather than a standalone strategy.
The resurgence of the press release has also made brands rethink their strategies. Given the role a press release posting can play in populating in MLMs, brands are incorporating paid press release postings. It’s a different category of third-party outlet but still valuable.
It’s a strategy our team implements for #GoodClient GL Homes, distributing weekly milestone announcements via PR Web to support search visibility and reinforce key community developments. Combined with earned media outreach, the approach helps create a stronger digital footprint for the brand.
PR Is Becoming Part of AI Visibility
As AI-driven search consumption continues, earned media is becoming about more than awareness alone.
Today, strong PR strategies contribute to:
- Brand credibility
- Search visibility
- Industry authority
- AI discoverability
The brands that consistently appear across credible third-party sources will likely be better positioned as AI platforms continue shaping how information is surfaced online.
The future of PR is no longer just about being seen.
It’s also about being cited.