In a recent conversation about the evolving media landscape, Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, spoke with Campbell O’Connor, Group Director, Media & Engagement at Real Chemistry, about how AI is influencing media relations and healthcare communications. Doug opened the discussion by asking how Campbell sees AI reshaping the communications landscape. “We're going to be talking about the intersection of media relations, healthcare, and surprise, AI and the effect it's having,” Doug said. “So, Campbell, when you look at the landscape and how AI is affecting it, what's your headline?” Campbell’s answer centered on a key distinction between discovery and credibility. “I think the headline here is that AI is changing how stories surface, but it has not changed what makes stories credible,” Campbell said. “AI is reshaping discovery in the sense of how people find information, how they encounter a story, and form that first impression.” Campbell pointed to new research illustrating how widely AI is now used for health information. “A new poll from KFF found that one in three American adults say they turned to AI chatbots for physician or mental health info in the last year,” Campbell said. “What ultimately makes health-related content and communications credible is trusted, accurate, and scientifically backed info. That hasn't changed.”
While the foundations of good communication remain the same, Campbell said AI is changing how communicators think about strategy. “There are really three big things that come to mind for me here,” Campbell said. First, AI systems amplify the importance of strong source material. “AI systems are summarizing our stories at scale,” Campbell said. “So, if the underlying source material is vague or thin, the AI output will reflect that.” Second, the outlets that influence AI responses are not always the ones with the largest audience. “The publications carrying the most weight with AI systems are not always the ones with the biggest readership,” Campbell said. “Authoritative and frequently cited outlets carry a lot of weight too.” Finally, Campbell said consistency across earned coverage has become even more critical. “In a world where AI is aggregating your narrative across dozens of sources and places, each and every piece of earned coverage needs to be pulling in the same direction,” Campbell said. “When AI is summarizing your story before any human being sees it, that consistency and credibility are not nice-to-haves, those are strategic imperatives.”
Doug noted that discovery patterns are evolving. “We saw some new data that for healthcare specifically, YouTube is actually driving the most discovery,” he said. Campbell said AI systems also tend to favor outlets that deliver information clearly and efficiently. “AI tends to like stuff that is easily digestible,” Campbell said. Frequently cited outlets follow a similar structure. “Other outlets like Forbes, Reuters that really just get to the point upfront,” Campbell said, pointing to reporting that delivers a clear takeaway first while still being deeply sourced.
Doug also highlighted the growing focus on generative engine optimization, or GEO, in healthcare communications. “Real Chemistry has been doing that in the health space, and you launched HealthGEO,” Doug said. Campbell described GEO as an emerging discipline focused on how organizations appear in AI-generated responses. “GEO standing for generative engine optimization, the emerging discipline of understanding and influencing how an organization's info is surfacing in AI-driven environments,” Campbell said. In healthcare, the stakes are especially high. “When a patient asks an LLM about their symptoms or diagnosis, the accuracy of those outputs can matter enormously,” Campbell said. “If patients are being driven to incorrect information, that is literally putting lives at risk.” Campbell described GEO as a way for organizations to move from passive visibility to active management of their reputation in AI environments. “GEO is how you stop being a passive subject of AI outputs to start actively managing your narrative in this new environment.”
As AI tools become more integrated into public relations workflows, communicators do not necessarily need to know everything about every model. “For communicators, it's understanding how AI shapes visibility, influence, and reputation in the digital environments where the public and their audiences are increasingly living,” Campbell explained. Campbell encourages communications leaders to regularly ask themselves three questions: “How is AI representing our brand today? Are our communications strategies accounting for AI mediated discovery? And are we using AI in ways that sharpen our judgment and leverage our team's unique expertise or are we replacing it?” For communicators navigating this new landscape, the message is clear: while AI may change how audiences discover information, credibility and accuracy remain the foundation of effective healthcare communications.
View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected].
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Josh Moed is a Marketing Specialist at D S Simon Media, a leading firm specializing in satellite media tours.
Jim Weiss, founder & chairman of Real Chemistry, has joined the board of ICR Inc. as it steps up its healthcare capital markets offering.
Ruder Finn has hired Kelly Yoder, who spent a dozen years at Weber Shandwick rising to North America health lead, as managing director, global head of health & life sciences.
ICR has named John Capodanno head of US healthcare corporate communications and Matthew Willey managing director in its medical technology and diagnostics practice. 
April is National Minority Health Month, spotlighting the urgency to improve health outcomes in communities of color.
Charlie Chapman, a policy advisor to Health & Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., has joined BGR’s health & life sciences practice.
