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| Doug Simon |
For 40 years, we’ve been helping brands get their stories on television. We helped make satellite media tours a hundred-million-dollar business. Now we're witnessing one of the most significant shifts in how news decisions are made.
According to D S Simon Media’s “2026 TV News Producers Report: AI and the Newsroom,” 68 percent of TV news producers say they’re more interested in airing a story if it’s optimized for AI search. Let that sink in. Nearly seven in 10 producers are signaling that Generative Engine Optimization influences what gets covered. We surveyed producers and reporters at local television stations nationwide. The findings make one thing clear: AI is no longer just a tool used behind the scenes. It's becoming part of the editorial filter and a significant opportunity to give your earned media a longer tail with AI discoverability.
According to our report, 37 percent of producers are already using AI to identify stories to cover. 60 percent say their stations are optimizing online content so it can be found through AI search. And when given the choice between two similar story pitches, 68 percent prefer the one optimized for AI. In other words, if your pitch isn’t aligned with how AI platforms surface information, you may be invisible before the assignment editor even finishes their coffee.
I’ve spent my career focused on what producers need. Local TV news remains one of the most trusted sources of information in America, according to recent data from Pew and Emerson College, but the way audiences find that information is changing dramatically. Viewers are no longer just clicking links. They’re asking AI platforms direct questions and expecting direct answers. Welcome to what I call the “Answer Economy.”
In this new environment, authority matters more than ever. Generative AI systems prioritize credible, earned media sources when constructing answers. MuckRack’s “What AI is Reading” report found 89 percent of generative responses in search come from earned media. That means local television coverage doesn’t just reach millions of viewers in the moment. It can influence what AI platforms surface long after the segment airs.
This is where the shift from Search Engine Optimization to Generative Engine Optimization becomes critical. Traditional SEO was all about keywords and links. GEO is about authority, structure and alignment with the real questions people are asking AI platforms. It requires understanding search intent at a deeper level and building earned media strategies that reflect it. For decades, satellite media tours have been one of the most efficient ways to reach national audiences through local television. In a single morning, a spokesperson can participate in more than 25 interviews across television and radio stations. The format has always worked because it’s structured, time-efficient and responsive to newsroom needs. What’s changing isn’t the format, but the discovery process around it.
As generative search becomes a primary way people find information, broadcast content is no longer confined to the moment it airs. Segments live on station websites, social platforms, YouTube channels and, increasingly, within AI-generated answers. That reality requires communicators to think differently about how stories are framed and distributed.
In practical terms, that means paying closer attention to the actual questions audiences are asking AI platforms and ensuring that broadcast storytelling reflects those queries. Pitches, suggested interview questions and supporting content need to be structured not only for a live interview, but for how that information may later be surfaced, cited or summarized in generative search environments. The fundamentals of a strong story haven’t changed. But the ecosystem in which that story is discovered has. The result isn’t just coverage—it’s coverage engineered for discoverability.
Some critics worry that AI optimization could compromise editorial integrity. I see it differently. Producers are under-resourced and operating in a multi-platform environment. If a pitch clearly signals that it’s authoritative, relevant and structured for digital amplification, it makes their job easier. It doesn’t dictate what they cover. It helps them identify stories that are already aligned with audience demand.
After four decades in this business, I’ve learned that media strategy is never static. When satellite distribution emerged, communicators who embraced it thrived. When digital transformed newsrooms, those who adapted gained an edge. Today, AI is that inflection point.
The brands and agencies that understand how local news, earned media and generative search intersect will have a measurable advantage. Those that treat AI as an afterthought risk falling behind, not because their stories are weak, but because they’re not structured for how discovery now works.
The takeaways from our 2026 report are straightforward. Newsrooms are adapting in real time. Producers are using AI and stations are optimizing content. And a clear majority says AI optimization increases their interest in a story.
If you want to earn coverage in the Answer Economy, your strategy has to evolve with the newsroom.
After 40 years in broadcast PR, I can tell you this: The fundamentals of storytelling haven’t changed. Credibility, clarity and relevance still win. What’s changed is how those qualities are surfaced and amplified. AI isn’t replacing earned media; it’s rewarding it. And for those willing to innovate, that's very good news indeed.
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Doug Simon is the Founder & CEO of the award-winning company D S Simon Media.
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