This pitch technically did everything right—but still failed
The pitch used AI in all the wrong ways. Here's how PR pros can avoid making the same mistakes.
Joni Sweet is a seasoned writer, editor, and content strategist with 15+ years of media experience. In this newsletter, Joni reveals insider tips to help PR professionals sharpen their pitches, avoid rookie mistakes, land coverage for their clients, and build stronger relationships with writers. Get detailed feedback from her on your next pitch with The Pitch Fix.
Hi friends,
I received an email from a PR pro earlier this month that technically checked all the right boxes. It was short—just 7 words more than the best length for a media pitch. It was personalized (or… it tried to feel personalized… more on that in a minute). It focused on one of my main areas of coverage. And it ended with a call to action (something that’s often missing from pitches!).
Yet, it felt off. Really off.
I ran it through the only AI checker I sort of trust (all of them are flawed), and it agreed with what I already suspected: the pitch was 100% AI generated.
For some journalists, that would be an instant dealbreaker. I’ve heard of reporters installing AI checkers in their inboxes to automatically flag pitches.
I’m a bit more pragmatic. As someone whose working hours have been cut in half while recovering from a broken wrist, I’m acutely aware of just how precious every hour of the day really is. I’m all for using AI to work smarter and more efficiently, but this wasn’t an example of AI making someone’s work better. Just worse.
Want to judge it for yourself? Keep reading to see the actual text of the AI-generated pitch.
The response it earned from me was not what the publicist was hoping for. Instead of expressing interest in her client, I replied with a recommendation for my consulting services because I genuinely believed she needed help.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn’t just one bad pitch—it was a case study in how not to use AI in media outreach.
So, if you’re experimenting with AI in your PR workflow, here are a few mistakes worth avoiding.
(But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor, Newshook—a PR tool built to get you the upside of AI, without the downside.)
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3 AI mistakes every PR pro should avoid
You don’t need me to tell you that AI is powerful. When used thoughtfully, it can speed up your media outreach and help you find research that makes your pitches so much stronger.
But AI should never replace your professional judgment. And that’s exactly what happened in the recent pitch I received (which you can see for yourself if you’re a paid subscriber!).