Harriet Meyer is founder of AI for Media, providing training and consultancy to demystify artificial intelligence (AI) tools for media brands and PR professionals.
She draws on her 20+ years experience as a national financial journalist to focus on sorting fact from fluff, and piercing through the hype to demystify AI for media and communications professionals.
She is one of LinkedIn’s Top AI Voices in Europe.
GT:
When AI bots are phone-pitching journalists, AI agents emailing, AI content published without an editor realising…where does this leave PR media relations?
Harriet Meyer:
Well, it’s dystopian future stuff we are now living in; Black Mirror territory. In terms of PR, I’m kind of positive about the fact that we will get back to the heart of of what makes good journalism and good PR, that is that two-way relationship and community building.
AI is really fast-moving and who knows where it is going to go in the next year, so whether you’re using AI as a PR or as a journalist in a newsroom, it’s about being open about it, it needs transparency and vigilance on both sides.
I think it’s more about picking up the phone and being known to that journalist. Equally, we don’t want the industry to become small and hard for new voices to break through, and there is that risk at the moment I think.
GT:
How is AI re-shaping UK newsrooms?
Harriet Meyer:
The great thing about journalists is that they take a critical mindset to everything, they want to understand and they rightly are sceptical of AI and of the tech giants.
I think that’s the right place to come at AI, and it actually makes [journalists] very effective users of AI as a result. AI is not going anywhere, it is being introduced in across news rooms now and there is no escaping it.
[The fake AI freelancers] those stories show the vulnerabilities of journalism and for journalists, and I think there is a lot of fear around that. Budgets are tight and editors are under pressure to deliver, but the fact that these stories are pulled very quickly is a sign of really quality journalism.
I’ve been a journalist since 2002 and I’ve seen the changes, and I think AI is putting pressure on journalism to step up a notch, which isn’t a bad thing. Maybe AI is going to push us back to actually telling the stories that matter.
The challenges that these scams expose and the pressures in newsrooms, they’re not going to go anywhere anytime soon. So maybe it’s about really tackling that, and this is where journalism can come into its own.
GT:
What are some best practices for diligent PR use of AI?
Harriet Meyer:
Everybody is going to have to work out how to use AI, so we’re developing those skills but also balancing that with checking what you’re producing [using AI].
There is a temptation with how good AI has become that it can convince you it knows something, and I always remind people that AI confidently makes s*** up. So It is very much about human checking all the time. If anything we need to strengthen our existing critical thinking skills.
In terms of workflow, it is very much about thinking where are the pain points? Where where are the problems? What are the repetitive tasks and tackling those first. Rather than treating AI like Google, it’s about being structured and strategic in its application.
The ‘red flags’ of using AI is sending out 50 pitches a day just because AI will let you! AI speeds you up so slowing down [to be critical and strategic] is what we need to do.
GT:
How can PRs counter misinformation about clients published on ‘AI news’ websites?
Harriet Meyer:
This is a grey, murky area. You know as well as I do, lots of people claim they know the answer but ranking in these new large language models but it’s unclear at the moment.
My sense is this is where I feel the industry has to come together, PRs and journalists have to come together, and put together some sort of strategy for dealing with this AI news-generated stuff because there just isn’t one at the moment.
It’s all happening very quickly and everyone’s really shocked but now we need a strategy for how do we actually deal with this mess? We’re all battling the same thing from different angles.
GT:
AI Search is killing Google web traffic but could it be positive for PR?
Harriet Meyer:
Everyone’s looking for how they can rank, how brands can rank in search results through ChatGPT or Google AI Overview. Yes, they’re looking for credible, trusted sources and those are often earned media. Around 60% of ChatGPT is sourced from Earned media, for example.
It means that traditional PR work, getting clients into respected publications, is very much training AI to perceive these brands in a good light.
Every mention, every article that that appears in national press, every piece of Earned media is literally programming the way AI perceives your clients.
GT:
So, is this a golden era for Earned media – and for PR?
Harriet Meyer:
Let’s hope so, though right now we’re in a phase where there are particular challenges that people don’t have answers to, which we’ve already discussed.
Authenticity, trust, the value of Earned media, the value of trusted media is greater than ever. But alongside that is growing lack of trust in in in the AI era of what we can trust, what we can see, hear or read.
One thing we can all do it that when using ChatGPT or whatever, actually ask it how it came to those conclusions, where it’s sourcing its information from.
We’re in we’re in a period of change and we’re all in it together.
Read previous Beyond The Brief Interviews:
Is AI a Golden Era for PR? – Harriet Meyer Interview
Tackling AI Generated News – GC William Bowes Interview
Harriet Meyer Biography
Harriet started her journalism career on The Daily Telegraph’s Money team before moving to the BBC, where she worked as a producer for flagship shows including BBC Radio 5’s Wake Up to Money and BBC Radio 4’s The Today programme.
She has been widely published, including in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Sun, MoneyWeek and more.
She has a weekly AI column for The Observer and is an regular media commentator about AI.
Harriet specialises in how AI can save time without cutting corners, support editorial judgement, and enhance creativity while keeping the human at the centre.
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