I’m excited to report the results from the first Media Copilot audience survey. I’ve been covering the intersection of AI and media for a couple of years now, and if I’m being honest, I’ve been a little lax about better understanding what my readers want. That’s mostly because I’ve been simultaneously working as an AI trainer and educator for several media organizations and PR teams.
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Key Takeaways
- A 110-respondent survey shows readers value practical analysis over AI hype.
- Top requests: case studies from real teams and mini-guides for implementation.
- Pachal will use the data to shape Media Copilot’s RJI service-journalism push.
But I’ve recently doubled down on the content side of my business, launching a new website and partnering with RJI on service journalism. I want to take things even further in the New Year, and this data will be extremely valuable in deciding how I do that. You can also count on more dialogue going forward.
The survey garnered 110 responses, though only about half completed it. That’s a decent number given my fairly niche audience of media and media-adjacent professionals and the very understandable “survey fatigue” that pervades our society these days. So for those who took the average of 4 minutes and 47 seconds to finish the survey, I thank you.
Who are you?
Based on the survey, the vast majority of those reading have considerable influence in their organizations, and often the person at the top. About 26% of the respondents said they were the Founder or Owner of their organization, followed closely by VP or Director at 23%. Manager or Team Lead was the next most popular choice at 14%, and C Suite was 10%.
In total, decision makers dominated, comprising 73% of the respondents. That tracks with what I’ve seen from informal indicators like audience members who enroll in my courses and comments on social media. Providing guidance for this group—both on big-picture strategy and specific tactical recommendations—is obviously a major focus, and it’s good to know the content is resonating.
Why The Media Copilot is valuable
I was happy to read the comments from the question, “In your own words, what is the biggest benefit you receive from The Media Copilot?” Many mentioned the lens I bring to the news and trends in AI—that is, what they mean for media, journalism, PR and comms. Several framed their answers as finally seeing their own day-to-day realities reflected in AI coverage.
One respondent said, “Pete Pachal asks some of the simplest but smartest questions that you would ask as a listener or reader and it always feels like a gentle but necessary grilling rather than letting someone get away with grand ideas with no receipts.” That was great to hear, since it’s exactly what I try to do every week. As a journalist, I do my best to do exactly that—boil things down to their core and try to figure out if they actually matter.
I appreciated this comment, too: “I’m an AI skeptic, and even while a lot of what I read here sounds like it’s from inside the hype machine, it’s objective enough to be useful.” When I may come across as an optimist about AI, it’s not because I’m oblivious to the trade-offs and dangers that come with it. If there’s anything at the core of my perspective on AI, it’s inevitability. That’s why I believe it’s essential that journalists and PR professionals carve out the best path, since it’s happening no matter what, and that might sometimes feel like hype. I’ll continue to do my best to be cognizant of that, and call balls and strikes, so everyone—no matter their perspective—finds value in the content.
What you really, really want
I was most excited to read about the kinds of things readers wanted to see from The Media Copilot in 2026. Let’s break it down.
Overwhelmingly (74% of respondents), people wanted to see more real-world examples about how newsrooms and agencies were applying AI and AI tools. That was a huge relief to see, since I was already planning my partnership with RJI to provide exactly that. As you’ve been seeing for the past week, case studies centered around specific problems—and which software platforms can help—will be a big part of what The Media Copilot provides.
Emerging trends and analysis was next at 59%, which is a nice validation of what I write about in my weekly columns. Like I mentioned in my announcement, I’ll be bringing on board other thought leaders as well, so watch for that soon.
Training and mini guides (46%) and deep dives on AI tools (43%) were next. We’ll be doing more of both, examining tools for both organizations and individuals, and adapting more of what now exists in formal trainings I offer. Our perspective will always begin with how these tools benefit journalistic and communications workflows, but much of that intersects with content creation more broadly, so you’ll see reviews and recommendations of tools that are both specific and general.
Interviews and live events rounded out the results at 26% and 14%, respectively, though both had very passionate comments in support. More than one person said they deeply appreciated the podcast and wanted “more top industry leaders interviews.” I have no intention of stopping. And since I haven’t done much in the way of live events since a couple of meetups early on, I don’t think it’s top of mind for most of my audience. That said, those who supported the idea were very bullish on something IRL: “Event is a great idea, but make it live in real life.” I hope to have more to share on this soon.
The mystery of GEO
Perhaps not surprisingly, the nascent field of GEO (generative engine optimization) came up repeatedly. One respondent asked directly for actionable guidance: “Anything on geo-search training or examples is helpful.” Another framed the underlying concern in outcome terms, focused on discoverability: “How are newsrooms adapting to AI’s impact on Google search visibility?”
My takeaway is that readers want help translating GEO and AEO from concept to execution, with examples that show what actually changes in content strategy. Besides providing practical guidance on the subject, we hope to help people with how to talk to their colleagues and clients about it. I see part of our job as helping others be the chief AI communicator in their organizations, an idea well captured in this comment: “Media Copilot helps me understand not only WHAT is changing in AI, but also HOW and WHY. This is vitally important to my understanding, and how I explain AI to my clients and colleagues within my agency.”
A(n) Eye on the future
What all of this tells me is that The Media Copilot is doing its best work when it helps people think clearly in a time that is inherently unsettling. AI isn’t slowing down, and the expectations placed on media and communications teams keep rising. My goal in the year ahead is to stay focused on what actually helps: concrete examples, honest analysis, and language you can use inside your own organizations. This survey gave me a clearer signal on where to put my time and energy, and I’m grateful to everyone who took a few minutes to weigh in. The dialogue doesn’t stop here. It’s just getting more specific.
