For years, many marketers predicted traditional public relations would slowly lose relevance in a social media-first world. Podcasts, influencers, creators, and short-form video appeared to be replacing old media institutions as the dominant engines of distribution.
Then artificial intelligence changed the equation.
During a wide-ranging interview on IsraelTech with Yoel Israel, entrepreneur and media executive Omri Hurwitz argued that AI unexpectedly revived the value of digital PR by turning nearly every online mention into searchable infrastructure for large language models.
“I was like PR is full of [expletive],” Hurwitz admitted. “And then AI came in and you find out that every mention of you on the internet is PR.”
The comment captures a growing realization inside marketing and media circles: AI search tools now rely heavily on existing web content, making authoritative mentions more valuable again.
Why Media Assets Became Strategic Infrastructure
Hurwitz explained that his company began buying media assets years before the recent AI boom.
“The second thing we did was starting to buy media assets,” he said. “People were laughing at me. They said, ‘Why media assets? Just invest in influencers.’”
According to Hurwitz, ownership created leverage.
“You want to own the pipeline. You want to own the work,” he said.
At the time, many marketers believed traditional media websites would steadily lose influence as audiences migrated toward creator-led platforms. Hurwitz himself acknowledged that trend existed.
But AI changed the economics.
“What happened is something weird happened,” he said. “OpenAI and all these systems take the data from the outlets.”
That shift effectively transformed media archives into AI training and discovery infrastructure.
Hurwitz compared the strategy to vertical integration.
“I was getting tired of convincing reporters,” he explained. “I was like, let me just own this.”
The model resembles broader trends across technology industries where companies increasingly control distribution instead of relying entirely on third parties.
Traditional Media Vs. New Media
The conversation also highlighted an ongoing debate across the marketing world: whether traditional media still matters in an era dominated by social platforms.
Yoel Israel argued that podcasts, YouTube metadata, Reddit discussions, and conversational content are increasingly influential because AI systems crawl detailed conversations.
“If people are searching conversationally, the podcast and the conversation are going to do much better,” Israel said.
Hurwitz partially agreed but argued the market still places enormous value on established media brands.
“The market prices traditional media higher,” he said. “That’s how it is right now.”
He pointed to a broader business reality. Established publications still hold stronger authority signals, particularly for search visibility, investor credibility, and enterprise trust.
At the same time, Hurwitz acknowledged that the balance could change rapidly.
“It might change in two months,” he joked.
AI Search Is Reshaping Marketing Priorities
The interview reflects a wider transformation happening across SEO, media buying, and brand marketing.
Historically, marketers optimized for Google rankings and social reach separately. AI search systems now blur those lines.
Israel argued that conversational content may become increasingly powerful because it contains nuance and specificity.
“Reddit is so strong because people contribute their unique perspectives,” he explained.
Hurwitz responded that authority still matters.
“If the media outlet decides to go into detail, they will win,” he said.
The debate illustrates how companies are still trying to understand the mechanics of AI visibility.
Why Hurwitz Believes PR Is Entering A New Era
Hurwitz believes the industry is only beginning to adjust.
“So PR was seeing a downward trend until AI made it so much more relevant,” Israel observed during the interview.
Hurwitz agreed.
“We were making good cash before AI,” he said. “But I was scared. I thought maybe we needed to do something else. Then AI came in and it really fixed everything.”
For PR firms, publishers, and founders, the implications are significant. Mentions are no longer just reputation assets. They are increasingly part of the data layer feeding AI-driven discovery.
That shift could fundamentally reshape how startups think about authority, distribution, and digital presence over the next several years.
