By Urban Geekz
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Journalists need sources when writing an article. Finding sources to comment on a topic can be time consuming. These sources may include medical experts or business owners affected by a policy decision.
This is where platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO) come in. It works like this: A journalist is writing an article, say, on a new health trend, and they would like to include an expert opinion from a doctor. The journalist submits a request to HARO with a question. They also describe the qualifications or background needed from a source. HARO then distributes the request to potential sources. Qualified sources can respond with a pitch that answers the journalist’s question.
HARO was founded in 2008, and it quickly became one of the largest forums of its kind. But HARO faced a new problem in 2023. People began using AI to generate responses to journalist requests. Many hoped to gain media coverage and increase brand awareness. Journalists responded by moving to platforms with stronger verification. HARO was officially discontinued in 2024.
When Featured acquired and revived HARO in 2025, it began using Pangram to evaluate source responses in the age of high-volume, AI-generated public relations. Here, Pangram Labs examines what the data shows about how journalists feel about AI-generated PR pitches. READ MORE…
