In this episode of PR’s Top Pros Talk, Adeena Fried, Executive Vice President of Health & Wellness at HAVAS Red, joins Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, to unpack key insights from the “AI in the Newsroom” report. Adeena shares how her team optimizes content for AI search while keeping storytelling at the center of every campaign. She also highlights the agency’s commitment to learning and experimenting with AI tools.
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Doug Simon is the Founder & CEO at D S Simon Media. D S Simon Media is a recognized innovator in broadcast public relations and the creator of the industry’s first AI-Powered Broadcast Media Tour™. Over the last five years the firm has scheduled and produced more than 5,000 media segments annually, further establishing itself as a category leader. Clients include top brands in healthcare, technology, travel, financial services, food and beverage, consumer goods, entertainment, retail, non-profits, and associations. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2026, the company has won more than 125 industry awards.
TRANSCRIPT:
DOUG: AI seems to be affecting everything in communications and Adeena, you just took a look at our “AI in the Newsroom” report. What were some of your thoughts as I know you follow this movement and these changes so closely?
ADEENA: Thanks so much, Doug. It’s great to be here. One of the most striking insights for me was that when producers know a story’s been optimized for AI search, they are 68% more likely to run it. And that’s not a small lift. It’s a clear signal that AI optimization is no longer just a back end technical tweak. It’s actively shaping editorial decision making. In healthcare PR, we’re seeing a shift in real time. Roughly 230 million people globally are searching on ChatGPT for their health-related questions every single week. And when you look at where AI systems pull their data from, 82% of those citations come from earned media. So, what that tells us is that credible, authoritative coverage is really making a difference. I mean, we’ve all known that earned media is important, but it’s more important today than ever.
DOUG: What are some of the strategies that you’re using to help communicators make sure that their content and their segments are going to be optimized?
ADEENA: So, my team absolutely prioritizes optimizing our pitches and story outputs, whether it’s survey data, messaging frameworks, or thought leadership for AI discoverability. But that comes after the fundamentals. Recently, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about how the hottest job in corporate America is storyteller. And storytelling has always been at the heart of great PR. So, before we optimize for an algorithm, we have to make sure that what we’re optimizing is grounded in real world impact. So, when you combine that authentic, human centered storytelling with smart AI optimization, that’s when you really, truly move the needle for your clients.
DOUG: Yeah. And we found that producers are leveraging AI for research. They’re using it for fact checking and content creation. So, what are some of the ways or best practices for agencies and in-house communications departments to be using these tools?
ADEENA: Yeah. It all starts with being intentional. So, large language models favor clear, direct answers to real world questions. So, everything we develop from media pitches to executive talking points needs to be fact based, well-structured, and authoritative. And media training becomes even more critical in this environment. We have to ensure that our spokespersons can deliver clear, compelling soundbites and answer questions in a way that translates into strong, effective coverage, because that’s what ultimately gets surfaced, cited, and trusted. The other big shift is recognizing that all LLMs are not the same. Brands can’t take a one size fits all approach. What is Claude saying about you versus ChatGPT? How are you showing up in Grok versus Gemini? Different platforms surface different sources and perspectives, which is why companies need to invest in tools and partners who can audit and analyze your visibility across AI environments. I personally love me some Gemini, but my mom loves Claude, and so we get totally different answers every time we look up a question.
DOUG: Yeah, and it’s so important to have a coherent story. One other thing is we get excited, you know, earned media, we’ve got the story. We know that AI loves it. The LLMs are looking at that, but that’s almost just the starting point. When you get the story or you get the head of the station interview, they do a write up on their website and place it on social media. What’s next? What do you do next?
ADEENA: I think that’s a great question because I say this all the time. You work so hard to get that one great piece, and you want to make sure it’s amplified. You want to make sure the most amount of people are seeing it. And certainly, the people who need to see it are seeing it. You want your KOL, you want your thought leader to write on their social content anything that was missed in the story. So, for example, you have this great big piece and it only has three sentences on the newly FDA approved drug. Well, take that time on your social and talk about why that FDA approved drug is so important, what it’s doing and how it’s making a difference. This is your moment to take that story, amplify it, make sure more people see it, but then also give your commentary that can also be picked up by AI.
DOUG: Nearly every agency and every organization in this space is trying to figure out how are they going to utilize AI, whether to benefit their organization or their clients. I know Havas is so unique where you actually have an AI day. Can you tell us about that a little bit about what you’re doing at Havas?
ADEENA: We’ve made a significant investment in AI in both time and resources. Recently, we held a global AI day and we as a team all learned, and we were able to experiment and deepen our shared understanding of how to use AI creatively and responsibly for our clients and for ourselves. And in January, we also announced the upcoming launch of AVA, a unified, human led AI ecosystem that connects our talent and clients globally. So, to answer your question, AI is making us more efficient so we can be better and more creative storytellers.
DOUG: Yeah, and my producer, for a moment thought you might be Kristin Davis and want me to ask if there was going to be a potential reboot of Sex and the City and Just Like That, but I’ll let you save that for the tabloids and stuff. But instead, I’ll ask if you have any sort of final comment you’d like to leave our viewers with.
ADEENA: That is the kindest compliment, I love it. I’ve always been a big Sex and the City fan, and I have been told that, but it is by far one of the nicest things ever. I don’t know any spoiler alerts about Sex and the City, but I do live here in New York City, so I hope to see them filming on the street sometime soon. I guess my final thoughts on this are, this is a new landscape and earned media is not a one day spike. It’s an asset that fuels credibility, discoverability, and influence long after it goes live. So, we all need to invest, play, and figure it out together.
DOUG: Sounds great when we hope more people see this, because it’s definitely a message they need to really take to heart.
ADEENA: Thank you so much. It’s been so fun to be on here. I love talking about AI. I love talking about earned media. Huge props to your producer who thinks I look like Kristin Davis.
