New AI Tool Helps Anyone Write Press Releases and Pitch Journalists

Honeyjar is a new AI tool that aims to make public relations easier for people who aren't PR experts. It was created by two longtime PR professionals, Michelle Masek and Nadia Jamshidi. The tool helps with tasks like writing press releases, finding the right journalists to pitch, and spotting speaking opportunities. It's designed for founders, marketers, and anyone who has to communicate for their organization but doesn't have a communications team.

The idea came from Masek's experience helping over 100 startup companies with their PR. She wondered if AI could scale that expertise. Honeyjar automates the busywork of PR so users can focus on strategy. It's not just for startups—the founders say there are millions of "unassigned communicators" like authors, creators, and sports team leaders who need to get their message out. The tool doesn't replace PR pros; instead, it helps them take on more clients without extra cost.

When Honeyjar opened its waitlist, it got 10,000 signups in 24 hours. Beta testers include big names like Nextdoor and Bloomberg Beta. The AI can draft pitches and social posts in your voice, but you still have to send them. The founders emphasize that human judgment is key—Honeyjar even tells you when you're not ready for coverage. Their goal is to bring better, more credible pitches to journalists' inboxes.

While some worry this could lead to more spam, the founders say they want to improve the quality of pitches, not flood inboxes. They're training the AI on the wisdom of experienced PR pros through their Comms Lab initiative. The tool is currently in beta, but it's clear that AI is coming to PR—and it might just make things better for everyone.