How AI is changing media interviews

"A journalist will never know as much about your business as you do."

That’s what we used to tell media training participants.

It’s no longer quite as true.

According to two 2026 surveys, more than 50% of journalists in Australia and the UK now regularly use AI tools in their work for research, transcribing conversations and summarising documents.

Tools like Google's NotebookLM have supercharged reporters’ ability to research and analyse your organisation’s performance, issues, and years of your public statements.

Reporters are using Google NotebookLM for story research

One Wall Street Journal reporter has told how he used NotebookLM to write a profile on Oracle’s Larry Ellison on a tight deadline by feeding into it a series of Ellison’s prior media appearances, including magazine articles, news clippings and YouTube videos.

Reporters still rely on leaks to access the confidential stuff but, with AI-assisted journalism, the information gap is closing.

What that means for your spokespeople:

1. They are more likely to be pressed on detail, and are at greater risk of the ‘gotcha’ question.

   
   

2. Interview prep needs to mirror the same level of research to anticipate difficult and more probing questions.

   
   

3. Messages need to be consistent over time, and be supported with verifiable proof points.

   
   

4. Unique perspectives and human insights will cut through more than ever.

How is AI-assisted journalism changing the way your organisation prepares for media interviews?