Whoever believes journalists are stuck in their way — white-knuckling their pen-and-notepads and just waiting for a magnet powerful enough to wipe out any tech created after the typewriter — might need to touch some grass themselves to get a better sense of both real-world realities and the actual responses professionals are having to those realities.

“Journalists are increasingly experimenting with generative AI tools,” says Cision’s 2026 State of the Media report, which found only 1 in 5 (21%) do not use AI, down from one in three (33%) last year. “While journalists are largely avoiding AI for the final creation of stories, many are using it as a behind-the-scenes ‘co-pilot’ to handle the heavy lifting of logistics, research, and ideation.”

Almost half (48%) have used genAI tools for brainstorming in the last year, with 43% using those tools for research and 41% for transcriptions or summarizations.

(Photo Source: Cision)

“However, attitudes toward AI-generated PR pitches remain cautious,” the report says of the 53% of journalists against them with concerns varied from low-quality writing to an absence of personalization. 

“AI may assist the process, but thoughtful, human-centered outreach is still expected.”