Tons of news and insights in your Monday Daily PR Brief - August 17, 2026
Remembering a 15-foot Clark Bar; Why the PR industry's AI numbers are wrong; AI didn't make thought leadership generic—it exposed that it already was; and more!
Read some of today's best PR and Comms industry news clips:
A Kennywood Park Publicity Stunt Still Wows Local Enthusiasts, 45 Years to the Day and Date (The GA-Zette - August 16, 2026)
The 84% myth: Why the PR industry's AI numbers are wrong (PR Daily - August 17, 2026)
2026 PRNEWS Platinum Awards Finalists Announced (PRNEWS - August 17, 2026)
Structure Your Way to AI Citations (PRsay - August 17, 2026)
Good and Bad PR: Landing on Mars, Thames Water, Harry Potter fanatics & a total eclipse of the PR heart (PRmoment (UK) - August 13, 2026)
How PR Helps Brands Stay Credible As AI Reshapes Discovery (Forbes - August 17, 2026)
AI didn't make thought leadership generic—it exposed that it already was (Agility PR Solutions - August 14, 2026)
Bill Buff, CEO & Senior Partner, Stratacomm — A Capitol Communicator Profile (CommPRO - August 17, 2026)
PR Newswire's Jeff Hicks On Why Brands Must Shift From Searchable To Citable (PRovoke Media - August 14, 2026) [PODCAST]
Press Releases in the AI Era: How You Can Build Search Visibility and Brand Authority (EIN Presswire - August 17, 2026)
Thought Leadership on LinkedIn: Your 2026 B2B Playbook (Radka Group - August 13, 2026)
GEO forces new PR and marketing ownership debates (ContentGrip - August 14, 2026)
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Summary Section:
A Kennywood Park Publicity Stunt Still Wows Local Enthusiasts, 45 Years to the Day and Date
The GA-Zette - August 16, 2026
A few days ago, on August 14, 2026, Pittsburgh historic enthusiasts were likely reminiscing about a hot day of August 14, 1981, when a 3,000 pound Clark Bar was delivered to a waiting crowd of thousands at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, PA.
The 84% myth: Why the PR industry's AI numbers are wrong
By David Clare, Director and Head of Fusion at Fire on the Hill
PR Daily - August 17, 2026
If we want brands to trust our guidance on AI visibility, the data behind it needs to meet the standard we set for everyone else.
2026 PRNEWS Platinum Awards Finalists Announced
By Jessica Dombrowski
PRNEWS - August 17, 2026
For nearly 30 years, the Platinum Awards have recognized the campaigns, agencies and in-house teams setting the standard for influence, reputation and results. This year's finalists were selected from a highly competitive field spanning every discipline in the profession, from media relations and brand strategy to public affairs, digital communications and experiential campaigns.
Structure Your Way to AI Citations
By John Elsasser
PRsay - August 17, 2026
If you want to get cited, give AI a map — clear headings and organized sections — so it can find exactly what it needs. Here are three ways to structure content AI will cite.
Good and Bad PR: Landing on Mars, Thames Water, Harry Potter fanatics & a total eclipse of the PR heart
By Andy Barr, Season One Communications
PRmoment (UK) - August 13, 2026
Despite the 476th heatwave of the year, I have kept my ear to the media-ground to find the best and worst of the PR world from the past seven days. Let's get about it.
How PR Helps Brands Stay Credible As AI Reshapes Discovery
By Amy Packard Berry
Forbes - August 17, 2026
In an AI-centered marketing world, PR stops being reputation insurance and starts shaping the source material that machines pick up and eventually surface to your target audiences.
AI didn't make thought leadership generic—it exposed that it already was
By Linda Rosenblum
Agility PR Solutions - August 14, 2026
Thought leadership is entering a new era, where both journalists and public relations professionals are navigating the reality that AI has fundamentally changed how ideas are created and shared.
Bill Buff, CEO & Senior Partner, Stratacomm — A Capitol Communicator Profile
By Debra Silimeo
CommPRO - August 17, 2026
"You're either winning or you're learning." It's a motto Bill Buff has carried from Little League coaching experience to the C-suite as CEO of Stratacomm. And at the end of the day, he says the business of communication comes down to something very human: relationships.
PR Newswire's Jeff Hicks On Why Brands Must Shift From Searchable To Citable [PODCAST]
By Camillia Dass
PRovoke Media - August 14, 2026
Ahead of the PRovoke Media Asia-Pacific Summit in Singapore, PR Newswire chief product and technology officer Jeff Hicks speaks to us about how AI is reshaping brand discovery, why being searchable is no longer enough, and what communicators must do to become trusted sources that AI platforms choose to cite.
Press Releases in the AI Era: How You Can Build Search Visibility and Brand Authority
By Issac Morgan
EIN Presswire - August 17, 2026
Press releases have evolved from attracting only media and the public to helping brands get their content into AI systems.
Thought Leadership on LinkedIn: Your 2026 B2B Playbook
Radka Group - August 13, 2026
Master thought leadership on LinkedIn by sharing unique insights that solve your audience's challenges. Discover actionable tips for 2026.
GEO forces new PR and marketing ownership debates
By Lena Marlowe
ContentGrip - August 14, 2026
One strategic observation: When answers replace links, the “ranking” conversation becomes a credibility conversation.
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