Generative AI is making it easier for PR professionals to draft and distribute pitches at scale, but journalists say the growing volume is often coming at the expense of relevance. From generic introductions and inaccurate personalisation to pitches sent outside a journalist’s beat, AI assisted outreach risks turning media relations into a numbers game.   While journalists see value in AI for research and drafting, they say human judgment remains essential to meaningful media outreach.   Muck Rack’s State of Journalism 2026 report found that PR pitches continue to play an important role in journalism. 86% of journalists said at least some of their stories start with a PR pitch, while 55% said deciding which stories to pursue is a combination of pitches and assignments.   Only 3% said their stories are fully assigned. The findings suggest that journalists are still open to receiving pitches, but the relevance and quality of those pitches re

Kyle Sandilands Live has been such a stunning success that he is now on course to make more from his new venture than he would have on his $10 million KIIS salary, with subscribers numbers revealed for the first time. According to The Australian's Diary column, Sandilands has already attracted 55,000 subscribers, each of whom pay $99 annually. Sandilands is already banking $3 million per year until the end of the decade as part of his settlement agreement with ARN. The Diary revealed that the success of Kyle Sandilands Live has already triggered a profit sharing deal with ARN that will see it receive 20 per cent of net revenue. However, it hasn't been all plain sailing for Sandilands, who was forced to abandon Friday's episode after his team failed to resolve technical problems that saw the show end after just two hours, instead of the regular four. Executive Producer Jaimee 'Mayo' Blazquez and newsreader Brooklyn Ross issued an video apology to subcribers, sa

$40bn ‘incentives’ claim throws Labor renewables scheme into the spotlight Documents reported to show renewable energy firms offering about $40bn in inducements — from cash to community benefits — to secure support and contracts under the federal Capacity Investment Scheme. The story sharpens scrutiny on how Labor’s flagship energy transition is being rolled out, and whether the process is transparent and fair for communities and taxpayers. Covered by: The Australian. Migration backlash builds as Labor readies visa crackdown New polling suggests voters increasingly see Labor’s migration program as unplanned, as the government prepares tougher measures targeting visa overstayers and asylum claims. With housing pressure and population growth still politically potent, the findings raise the stakes for Albanese’s next moves and open space for opponents to weaponise border and planning narratives. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, The Age. The

Human, Searchable, Scalable - those were the three main themes dissected in-depth at last week’s WorkTribes AI and Communications Panel and Networking Discussion.  Elle Kress, founder of WorkTribes, moderated the panel, which included Sling & Stone chief executive James Henderson, ‘In The Blink of AI’ host Georgie Healy and AWS communications manager Matthew Wu. When asked where the AI gains for an agency were, Sling & Stone’s Henderson explained that AI helped automate away the grunt work.  “If we can use AI to spend less time on the admin and spend more time on the value, that's the benefit that we're having.  “If [colleagues] are spending less time checking a coverage flag or something important but not necessarily valuable, then they can spend more time on the thinking that actually means that the value of the work and the quality of the work is significant enough.”  Wu said that the best way to u

From the days when politicians travelled to journalists for television interviews to an era where reporters are expected to chase viral posts and build personal brands, veteran journalist Maya Sharma has witnessed Indian television journalism transform from the frontlines. After more than 35 years in the profession, Sharma looks back at that journey in her book, *Good News, Bad News: A Life in Television*. In an Influencing Insider conversation, she reflects on her years in television, the challenges women journalists continue to face and why credibility and distance from power remain essential even as the industry changes around them. Sharma decided to write the book after stepping away from daily television news, when distance gave her an opportunity to reflect on a career that began with Doordarshan, then India's only television channel, and continued through the rise of private news and the digital transformation of journalism. “When I stepped back from the daily television

As audiences increasingly get their news from websites, social media and other digital platforms, the conventional newspaper bureau might appear to be losing relevance. Yet some Indian media organisations are still investing in physical newsrooms, reporting teams and new editions. The Pioneer recently expanded into Kerala with its Keralam edition and a bureau in Thiruvananthapuram, while India Unboxed is developing a newsroom serving both its print and digital operations. The Indian Express is also looking at print, online and e-paper formats as part of its expansion. What these investments suggest is that the physical bureau is not necessarily being built for print alone. It is increasingly becoming the reporting base from which journalism can be produced for several platforms. Moving beyond agency copy For The Pioneer, establishing a Kerala bureau meant replacing dependence on agency reports with original reporting from the state. “The Pioneer wanted a stronger presence