Since Featured relaunched HARO (Help a Reporter Out) in April 2025, the service has sent over 100 million emails connecting journalists with sources, according to newly released data. This milestone offers a revealing glimpse into how artificial intelligence, spam, and increasingly crowded inboxes are reshaping the dynamic between journalists and PR professionals.
The 2026 statistics from HARO indicate that as the volume of communication between journalists and sources escalates, both sides are placing greater emphasis on filtering and authenticity. One of the most striking findings: 21% of pitches submitted through HARO are now entirely AI-generated. In response, 35% of journalists report blocking AI-generated pitches, and HARO bans a user every 23 minutes for spam or policy violations.
Moreover, nearly one-third (32%) of journalist requests are rejected during the approval process, as HARO reviews each request for quality and legitimacy. This rigorous vetting underscores the importance of maintaining standards in an era of mass communication.
Perhaps the most telling statistic is that human-written pitches are approximately three times more likely to be used by journalists compared to AI-generated ones. Brett Farmiloe, CEO of HARO, emphasized this point: "Human-written pitches are about 3x more likely to get featured than AI-written ones. The sources who stand out typically come from fully human teams who can provide credible information, respond to what the journalist actually asked for, and make the journalist’s job easier. As inboxes get more crowded, being helpful becomes the differentiator."
To combat the influx of AI-generated content, every pitch submitted through HARO is analyzed using AI detection technology provided by Pangram. Journalists can also report unhelpful pitches, which triggers a manual review by the HARO team. These measures aim to preserve the integrity of the platform and ensure that journalists receive relevant, reliable responses.
The data points to a growing challenge for PR professionals: as access to journalists increases, earning their attention is becoming harder. In increasingly crowded inboxes, relevance, credibility, and expertise are becoming critical ways for sources to stand out. For those looking to secure media coverage, the message is clear: personalized, human-crafted pitches remain the most effective approach.
HARO, founded in 2008, was shut down by its previous owner in December 2024 and relaunched by Featured in April 2025. It delivers journalist requests directly to subscribers, offering subject matter experts, publicists, and PR professionals opportunities to respond to relevant media inquiries and earn coverage. Featured, the company behind HARO, is an AI co-pilot for public relations that helps users find earned media opportunities across journalist requests, podcasts, bylined articles, speaking engagements, awards, and generative engine optimization (GEO). Featured supports more than 100,000 users and helps 2,500 publishers fill content gaps with expert insights.
For more information, visit HARO.
