• AI Overviews are reshaping search, reducing traffic to news sites, and favoring well-known brands in both visibility and citations.

  • Brand mentions now matter more than backlinks in AI-generated content, shifting PR strategy toward brand visibility and authority.

  • News publishers must diversify traffic and revenue, prioritizing direct audience relationships via newsletters, apps, and communities.

  • Google Discover is an emerging traffic driver, but its volatility makes it a risky sole source for audience acquisition.

  • Smaller brands should target niche publications, unless data shows top-tier media dominate their topic’s search visibility.

  • Strong editorial data pitches still resonate, especially when tailored to a publication’s beat and current audience interest.

As PR pros, we rely on the news ecosystem to survive. Without news sites or journalists, our ability to pitch for stories and gain coverage is worthless. There is no doubt that the digital news landscape is undergoing significant changes.

To gauge the temperature, I sat down with John Shehata, CEO and founder of NewzDash, to discuss the evolving digital news landscape.

We talk about everything from the impact of AI on news publishing to how brands can survive without it (building brand loyalty, anyone?)

This was a fascinating conversation and a must-listen for anyone interested in the state of digital news.

YouTube player

Resources Mentioned in the Article

Here are some of the key sites and tools we talked about in our article.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
00:54 – Overview of News Dash
02:11 – The Changing Media Landscape
04:11 – Impact of AI on News Industry
07:35 – Big Brands vs. Small Brands in SEO
15:41 – Building Brand Loyalty
23:34 – Trends in US Media
26:03 – PR Pitches to News Publishers
28:30 – Conclusion and Upcoming NESS Event

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Have a question for John? Ask it here.

Vince Nero

Vince Nero

Vince is the Director of Content Marketing at Buzzstream. He thinks content marketers should solve for users, not just Google. He also loves finding creative content online.

His previous work includes content marketing agency Siege Media for six years, Homebuyer.com, and The Grit Group. Outside of work, you can catch Vince running, playing with his 2 kids, enjoying some video games, or watching Phillies baseball.