PR in the Age of AI: Keeping it Human

How does AI fit into a profession as deeply human-centric as public relations? Valerie Fields, a leading expert with 30 years of industry and teaching experience, breaks down how AI is reshaping PR— from drafting press releases in seconds to navigating AI-driven crises—while sharing strategies to prepare students for a field where human creativity, critical thinking, and trust continue to be essential. Designed for educators guiding the next wave of communication leaders, this episode delivers insights that matter. 

Summary

Valerie Fields, a public relations professional with over 30 years of experience as both a practitioner and educator, examines the evolving role of AI in public relations and its implications for the skills future industry leaders will need.

The episode outlines practical approaches for incorporating AI-driven tools into classroom teaching while emphasizing foundational values such as trust, authenticity, and relationship-building. Fields also discusses ways educators can adjust their curricula to address emerging trends, ensuring students are equipped to integrate innovation into their work while maintaining creativity and meaningful communication.

This overview is particularly relevant for professors focused on preparing students for an industry that merges technological advancements with the enduring importance of human connection.

 What We Talk About

Here’s what’s covered in the episode:

• Balancing technology and humanity: Exploring how PR professionals can use AI as a tool without losing focus on the human connection, trust, and strategic creativity that define the field.
• AI’s impact on PR: Discussing how AI is transforming public relations through enhanced efficiency, while underlining the importance of foundational skills and the dangers of over-reliance on automation.
• Social change and ethics: Preparing students to work authentically and ethically in an environment influenced by societal, political, and economic shifts.
• Skills for future professionals: The essential skills students need to thrive in the industry, including critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and adaptive storytelling in the context of technological advancement.
• Experiential learning in education: Leveraging real-world projects and service-learning experiences to help students bridge the gap between theory and practice.
• AI's potential for mistakes: How PR professionals can counteract AI's errors, like fabricated information, to maintain accuracy and credibility.
• Relevance of press releases: Highlighting the adaptability and continued usefulness of press releases as a key tool for communication, even in the digital age.

 About the Author

With nearly 30 years of experience as a PR practitioner and educator, Valerie “VK” Fields brings a unique blend of real-world expertise and academic insight to her work. As a senior lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Media and Journalism, she has spent 18 years equipping students with the skills to succeed in the evolving PR landscape.

She is the founder of PR Pros, a Raleigh-based, award-winning agency that has partnered with high-profile clients like McDonald’s and Disney to deliver effective communication strategies. VK is also the author of Public Relations Writing: Essential Tools for Effective Storytelling, a trusted resource for aspiring PR professionals.

Dedicated to ethical, human-centered communication, VK combines creativity and strategy to inspire the next generation of PR storytellers. 

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:34:09

Tim Molina, Sage Faculty Partner and Mass Communications Assistant Professor at Northwest Vista College:

Welcome back, everyone, to a new episode of the Sage College Publishing podcast. We are here today, and we are diving right into a dynamic shift in reshaping public relations. My name is Tim Molina. I am a faculty partner at Northwest Vista College and also with Sage Publishing. I wear two hats. I'm a mass communications assistant professor, and I have enjoyed over a year's time of being a faculty partner.

00:00:34:13 - 00:01:00:21

Tim Molina

And podcasting is one of my joys. And so, I've been asked to run a few of these podcasts, and this today is going to be a very unique day. It's going to be cutting edge information where technology meets timeless human connection. So, we're going to be discussing public relations, and it's no longer just about press releases and media pitches.

00:01:00:23 - 00:01:26:11

Tim Molina

But perhaps it's about navigating a world that's infused with AI, innovation, and a growing demand for authenticity. So together, we're going to explore how the field is evolving, what it means for education and practice. And how can we use these advances without losing touch? And what makes public relations truly impactful, which is our humanity?

00:01:26:13 - 00:01:59:24

Tim Molina

So together, these changes in public relations demand fresh thinking. The demand experience, voices to guide the way. So that brings us to our guest today. This person is a leader who is shaping a new generation of communicators and navigating the evolving landscape of storytelling and strategy. So today joining me we have Valerie VCC fields. Valerie is a leader in public relations with a remarkable career in teaching, mentoring and strategy.

00:02:00:01 - 00:02:31:20

Tim Molina

So over 15 years she's been educating future PR professionals at UNC Chapel Hill and focuses on writing, crisis communication and storytelling. She also heads PR pros, and it's an award-winning agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. And she's worked with giants like Disney and McDonald's. Valerie's achievements include a crisis communication certification, the Michael L Herman Excellence and Mentoring Award, and recognition as one of North Carolina's Power 100 leaders.

00:02:31:22 - 00:02:43:12

Tim Molina

She's also the author of Public Relations Writing Essential Tools for Effective Storytelling, and it's recently been published by Sage. Welcome, Valerie. It's a pleasure to have you.

00:02:43:14 - 00:02:48:18

Valerie Fields

Thank you so much. I appreciate the invitation, and I'm looking forward to our conversation today.

00:02:48:20 - 00:02:58:18

Tim Molina

Wonderful. Why don't you tell, folks a little bit about your background, and your PR experience and help to build a good context for our conversation today?

00:02:58:20 - 00:03:28:18

Valerie “VK” Fields, Sage Author and Senior Lecturer – School of Media and Journalism at UNC Chapel Hill

Sure. I'll try not to, reiterate the wonderful introduction that you already gave me, but I did launch my PR career, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. I actually, before I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, went and worked at Disney for a year, came back and finished my degree work as the public relations director for the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities of North Carolina, then set out on an entrepreneurial journey that's, at year number 28.

00:03:28:18 - 00:03:44:24

Valerie Fields

Now. And I taught public relations at UNC Chapel Hill in the School of Journalism and Media. This is year number 18. So, the years have really flown by, but that's a little bit of background on entrepreneurship, corporate, nonprofit and higher education.

00:03:45:01 - 00:04:04:17

Tim Molina

18 years. That's, that's a good number there, I might add 13. So, teaching is definitely a joy. And the years do definitely fly by. They do. Yeah. Thank you, Valerie, so much for joining us. I know you bring a lot of a lot of value to this conversation, so let's get right into it.

00:04:04:19 - 00:04:32:04

Tim Molina

Okay. We have a couple of questions related primarily to the technological shifts that are happening. Obviously, the big elephant in the room is AI and generative platforms. Impact ING pretty much all the aspects of, of writing of, of mass communication, broadcasting, journalism and so forth. And in addition to that, public relations. So, from your perspective, how do you think AI is reshaping PR, especially when it comes to writing and content creation?

00:04:36:03 - 00:05:05:15

Valerie Fields

Thank you for that question. As I shared and you mentioned in the intro, my tenure in this industry is reaching three decades teaching 18 years, and it's been amazing to watch the transition and shifts in technology and the way we do business in PR over the years. I will say artificial intelligence is completely transforming public relations and content creation by accelerating the process, making everything faster and more efficient.

00:05:05:17 - 00:05:34:12

Valerie Fields

We found in the classroom and in the office for AI to be a great tool for research, for brainstorming, for creative ideation. As an instructor, though, I will say I am concerned that the ease and the access of generative AI platforms is going to diminish skill sets for students who still need to know and understand those foundational principles of how to construct content, and just how to write well and tell a good story.

00:05:34:14 - 00:06:03:20

Valerie Fields

Tools like generative AI, we're using them in the industry to draft press releases and talking points and overviews of public relations and communication strategy and, overall comprehensive communications planning, social media posts, speeches, events, stock imagery, and all of that's done in a matter of seconds. But what we do know and can consistently observe is that the technology can also make mistakes.

00:06:03:22 - 00:06:41:02

Valerie Fields

And so, it's important that we don't become solely reliant on a tool which can potentially undermine accuracy. And then erode professional credibility. While AI does enhance efficiency, PR is still ultimately about relationships and trust. And that's something that machine and technology can try to imitate but does not truly replicate. I do believe the best PR professionals are using AI to streamline tasks, while still focusing their energy on strategy and creativity and ethical storytelling.

00:06:41:04 - 00:07:20:02

Tim Molina

Because storytelling I love, I love how we interweave the concepts of efficiency but also making sure that we're authentic. In The Storyteller and being a professor myself. The idea of having that conversation, in addition to the ethical boundaries, those, opportunities for, you know, to meet students where they are, in talking about what the, the future, hopes of are of these particular tools, but also what might be some of the pitfalls that they need to look out for in terms of their, their humanistic skill sets.

00:07:20:02 - 00:07:44:20

Tim Molina

Still, hoping that we can thrive at those that we can still teach our students to, you know, have those particular, boundaries set to have, the essential skill sets to move forward in whatever business they decide to go into. Most of our students obviously are moving into the content creation aspect of media as well.

00:07:44:20 - 00:08:10:01

Tim Molina

So, that's a that's a great response here. We're going to dive right into the next question is sort of interrelated here, relative to the AI discussion. So, Valerie, there's a lot of debate about AI's impact on jobs in public relations. And do you think it's more of a threat to jobs or an opportunity for perhaps professionals to enhance their work? And you've kind of touched on that just briefly here, but how should we address those concerns? In the classrooms with our students.

00:08:18:15 - 00:09:01:10

Valerie Fields

Right now, in terms of jobs, I think AI is creating new jobs for fact checkers. Persistent downfall of the technology is its inclination for hallucinations. And for those who aren't necessarily familiar with that term as it relates to artificial intelligence, it's essentially the technology's ability to fabricate information with no obvious explanation. And we see that a lot in academia with citations, for example, where I might identify a real journalist or researcher or a news source, but then attribute it to a non-existent work, a non-existent work to that source, basically just making up stuff.

00:09:01:12 - 00:09:30:04

Valerie Fields

And another one of the major concerns we are encountering in news media and PR industries is ensuring that the AI tools that automate and automatically publish information and content that they are publishing accurate information. I read an article just yesterday, Tim and one of our industry publications, talking about how a corporation published a news release. A good news, really solid headline, great story.

00:09:30:05 - 00:10:07:17

Valerie Fields

Should have been positive coverage for them for weeks. Instead, AI publishers, somehow misinterpreted the nuance in the headline, spread an entirely false story online. And then it took days for the brand to be able to track down all the places that the story was distributed and pull it back offline. So, what should have been a great story for great coverage turned into a crisis for them, with them having to undo what I did in a matter of seconds, because efficiency and speed is really the technological advantage that it offers.

00:10:07:19 - 00:10:32:03

Valerie Fields

And then within the past week, I read a blog post from an industry professional expressing that they were beginning to interact with AI more as a colleague instead of as a tool. And I find that concerning because relationships in PR are built on trust, and that's something that AI can attempt to imitate but cannot really authentically generate in the classroom.

00:10:32:03 - 00:10:54:04

Valerie Fields

I believe we need to shift the focus from AI as a threat to AI as a tool, but not AI as a replacement for the skills that you actually need to have yourself teaching students to use AI effectively while maintaining critical thinking, ethical judgment, and human-centered storytelling, I believe, will be the key to staying relevant in the industry.

00:10:54:04 - 00:11:17:19

Tim Molina

That the times are changing. The skills have to change with it. Yeah, that that's a that's a wonderful thread. And I you actually hit the nail on this question that was about to ask, which was about skills. So, we can kind of move forward from there and really talk about, some of the more granular things that you may be doing in the classroom with your students, such as press releases.

00:11:17:21 - 00:11:35:07

Tim Molina

The industry relies on press releases, has relied on press releases for decades. But what are some of the best tools for, the job? Our press release is still worth teaching. Or have they been replaced by perhaps newer or more effective tools?

00:11:35:09 - 00:12:06:00

Valerie Fields

The good news for those of us who've been around a while is that, yes, press releases are still relevant. They are evolving, though, but certainly still useful. They aren't still the static documents that they used to be, but rather we have smart releases that can be embedded with hyperlinks to quotations from key leaders within an organization. They can hyperlink to video interviews, audio soundbites, imagery that help tell the story, even imagery that AI helps you create.

00:12:06:02 - 00:12:36:07

Valerie Fields

They're still a key tool for credibility for the people who have just grown their careers relying on press releases, there's some credibility and validation that comes with a reliable tool that's familiar to the public, especially in traditional media relations work in the classroom. Press releases are still a really good teaching tool, because they effectively demonstrate writing in Associated Press or AP style and teach students how to draft content using the inverted pyramid model of storytelling. And there's value in teaching and utilizing press releases as one of many tools. Instead of the only tool in a communicator toolbox.

00:12:46:10 - 00:13:11:08

Tim Molina

Very cool. Our listeners are benefiting from the fact that we not only have our author who is a teacher, but also a practitioner in the field and is definitely up to date and current on a lot of the skill sets that our, our students are engaged with in her classroom. And so that's just a preview, and in a testament to what is in the text that she's written.

00:13:11:08 - 00:13:38:03

Tim Molina

So, Valerie, we're going to keep it moving here. We have sort of another sub topic in addition to AI and the, intersection between AI and PR, but we also want to consider some of the macroscopic, social change issues that have arisen, of course, in our and our environment here today. This is 20, 25, and we're just upon the brink of a spring break.

00:13:38:03 - 00:14:04:06

Tim Molina

So just to give our listeners some context here, lots of social change. And it's driving, PR campaigns right now. How do we teach students to help brands stay authentic? Especially in an environment where there is a lot of shifts politically, divisions, that some may indicate would be widespread. So how do we how do we address those? How do we get students prepared for, what we're what we're experiencing today?

00:14:10:22 - 00:14:34:15

Valerie Fields

Most of the courses that we teach within the School of Journalism and Media, I'll say this first, have an ethical component to make sure our students appreciate and value integrity within the profession. And then we want to make sure that students are aligning with their own personal beliefs, their morals and values in terms of the types of opportunities that they pursue.

00:14:34:17 - 00:15:15:03

Valerie Fields

With so much, so much change, happening and on the horizon, I think it's just I think it's pertinent for students to just be honest and authentic in the work that they do. As instructors and PR professionals, we need to stress the importance of working for organizations that align with their values. At the same time, PR professionals often represent diverse perspectives and their job is to enhance communication and foster understanding, not just advocating for their personal beliefs, which sometimes might be more relevant to some of the things societal changes that we're experiencing.

00:15:15:05 - 00:15:26:10

Valerie Fields

Teaching students I believe in ethical framework and adherence to the public relations code of ethics is a good start for those who are just beginning on their professional journey.

00:15:26:12 - 00:16:03:21

Tim Molina

That's a wonderful answer. And I appreciate the honesty and how you approach decision making, because that's what students are being prepared to do, especially in the world of PR and, I love the idea of having an ethical framework and really helping students to consider their, their values, their morals when it comes to this type of work and sharing a story that they, align with that they're, speaking to, especially during these times.

00:16:03:21 - 00:16:32:06

Tim Molina

So that's, that's amazing. I love I love the ideas that you're sharing today. And I have another question that it's steered around the same, conversation about social change. What strategies have worked for you in preparing the students to adapt to these rapid changes, whether that be in the social arena, the economic arena, and the technological arena?

00:16:32:08 - 00:17:02:22

Valerie Fields

With 18 years of experience in the classroom, what I found, Tim, is that experiential learning is probably one of the most effective things that we do, offering students real world projects opportunities to solve real world problems with their growing communication and public relations skill set, offering crisis communication, simulations, networking, and engagement opportunities with industry professionals. That's where we see the most success.

00:17:02:24 - 00:17:30:21

Valerie Fields

Also, our PR writing classes, of which I've taught consecutively for 18 years to two courses per year for 18 years. So I've done the research and I got the results. Our PR writing classes are structured as service-learning courses that require students to work with actual nonprofit clients in the community, and this is one of the most effective approaches to prepare them for how the industry really works.

00:17:30:23 - 00:17:53:08

Valerie Fields

Because what comes with that? In addition to the classwork and assignments and instruction from me, are external client meetings and interactions, project deadlines and expectations on the students to produce quality work and content for a client who's actually going to use it to help advance their organizations. So the students also get to see the benefit of their work as well.

00:17:53:08 - 00:18:23:13

Valerie Fields

When the client uses or publishes or distributes their content. Also encouraging a mindset of lifelong learning, I think, is also crucial. The PR industry is rapidly changing, will continue to rapidly change, and I think students need to be comfortable with the idea of change, whether that relates to technology, software, the nonstop news and media cycles that we're in, or new media channels and social media platforms that will become available.

00:18:23:15 - 00:18:51:02

Valerie Fields

And I think prioritizing critical thinking over just memorizing portion of content and prioritizing the ability to research, comprehend and then communicate on new information as opposed to just an overreliance on technology, also ensures that they have the tools that they need to evaluate new technology or trends, rather than just following them and jumping on the bandwagon because they're available.

00:18:51:05 - 00:19:11:22

Valerie Fields

And I think PR professionals certainly need to embrace technology as a tool, but not as a replacement for human insight, human analysis and human connection. And at the same time, we need to focus on strengthening students core skills like writing, strategic thinking, ethical decision making and of course, effective storytelling.

00:19:11:24 - 00:19:43:17

Tim Molina

Is so much Valerie, I wanted to ask you just sort of on a personal note. What is it that makes, your experience in your classroom or, reading the text that you've written? What makes that, different? What approach have you taken? What philosophies do you have to, to offer to any of the readers, or any potential, listeners that we have today that that can really take a deeper dive into your work.

00:19:43:19 - 00:20:14:14

Valerie Fields

Thank you. I, I think one of the things that I bring to the industry and to the classroom, in particular, that is evident in the PR writing textbook, is my entrepreneurial experience as well. We spend a lot of time in the classroom teaching our students the skill set of PR writing, but what we haven't necessarily done traditionally is teaching them the business side of how the industry works.

00:20:14:16 - 00:20:40:07

Valerie Fields

And as an entrepreneur, I bring that to the table, and I introduce it in the textbook as well. For example, there's a section in the textbook just dedicated to RFP, request for proposals. And that's one of the main ways that PR agencies and creative agencies solicit business, grow their companies, manage business development and bring in bring in revenue to an organization.

00:20:40:11 - 00:21:15:22

Valerie Fields

And I think it's important for students, even if they aren't going to be entrepreneurs, to understand the business side of the industry and how money comes in and how money goes out. And having been an entrepreneur for almost 30 years, I think offers a different perspective in terms of a holistic approach to the industry. The textbook focuses on skills and teaching core documents of public relations, how to write them, where they go, how to utilize them in the industry and in pitching story ideas to journalists.

00:21:15:24 - 00:21:38:23

Valerie Fields

But it also talks about how business comes in, how to respond to RFP, how to pitch ideas, and how to basically sell your ideas in a communication platform. So, I think and I tell my students at the beginning of every semester that that's one of the strength that I believe I bring to the classroom, and that I'm not just telling you what's in the textbook. Yes, well, I know what's in the textbook because I wrote it. Right, but not just what's in the textbook. Also, how it happens in real time, in real world agency work, because that's something that I do every day.

00:21:51:02 - 00:22:24:06

Tim Molina

It's amazing. That's it's exactly what I signed up for, for courses that are taught by people who are in the industry and have had that experience in that practice, that practical approach. I think that's so vital to, to education, higher educational setting, and prepare students, tenfold. So, Valerie—VK, if I can call you VK, any last words that you want to, share with our listeners before we wrap things up?

00:22:27:05 - 00:22:49:05

Valerie Fields

Sure. That's one of the things I love that question, because I do crisis communication training, and I always prepare our clients for be ready when they ask, is there anything else that you'd like to add? There's always something that you want to add. There's something you forgot, something you want to cover, some point you want to highlight. So, thank you so much for my opportunity to do my closing summary statement.

00:22:49:07 - 00:23:12:21

Valerie Fields

I would add that I really do appreciate the opportunity to have this conversation with you. I'm so grateful to sage to introduce this textbook to the marketplace and to students, and to be given an opportunity to shape this industry for years to come. I consider it an honor, and I really have been appreciative of this journey.

00:23:12:23 - 00:23:42:13

Valerie Fields

I would say to our audience that public relations isn't just about managing reputations, brands, and narratives. It's also about our responsibility as thought leaders and shaping national conversations in the public discourse and nurturing relationships between our clients and their stakeholders and those who do that work with honesty and integrity and transparency. And of course, creativity will be those who are successful in our industry.

00:23:42:14 - 00:24:06:22

Valerie Fields

And I'll close with saying that adaptable ability, based on the technology that we've talked about today, adaptability will be the defining trait, I believe, of future PR leaders. Those who continue to learn and leverage AI and other new tools that come along in the future responsibly stay ahead of emerging trends. Those are the ones who are going to thrive and survive in this rapidly changing industry.

00:24:07:02 - 00:24:28:08

Valerie Fields

At its core, PR, though, still remains a relationship driven industry, and for us professionals who can balance the innovation and authenticity with compelling stories, building trust and navigating complex social landscapes using the power of communication and public relations will succeed, and we will be the ones who continue to shape the future of the industry.

00:24:28:10 - 00:24:52:11

Tim Molina

Well, you heard it first from Valerie VK Fields. She is the author of Public Relations Writing: Essential Tools for Effective Storytelling. That's going to close things up for us for this podcast episode. Valerie, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and giving us so much to think about when it comes to public relations and how it's evolving.

00:24:52:13 - 00:25:14:04

Tim Molina

Thank you to our listeners for joining us. If you've enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to the Sage College Publishing podcasts so you never miss an episode. And if you'd like to take a closer look at Valerie's book entitled Public Relations Writing: Essential Tools for Effective Storytelling, you can certainly request a review copy at collegepublishing.sagepub.com. Take care and we'll see you next time.