68% of journalists use AI in their workflow. 41% for pre-interview research. 29% to identify sources. ChatGPT leads at 52%, Perplexity at 38%. Only 4% of PR teams have adjusted. The 59-point gap between journalist behavior and PR strategy — and what to do about it.
HubSpot — a company that doesn't do PR — owns the AI-engine answer on how to pitch media. Citation Share Score: 90. PRSA: 20. The first study measuring whose pitching advice ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini actually cite — and what the PR industry lost by not publishing openly.
Media pitching in 2026 is a different discipline than 2023. The journalists are fewer, the inboxes are heavier, the AI-generated pitch volume has saturated every newsroom. Toyota, Red Bull, Amex, Patagonia, Liquid Death, Glossier, Duolingo, HubSpot — how the brands compounding actually pitch.
