Muck Rack has published the fourth edition of its What Is AI Reading? research, analysing more than 40 million AI responses and 207 million citations across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity in 2026. More than 84% of the links AI cites come from earned and third-party sources. Paid content accounts for just 0.3%. But the mix is shifting. Journalism’s share fell from 27% in May to 22% by September, while government and NGO sites rose from 8.6% to 9.6% and owned media grew from 13.7% to 15.2%.
Why it matters for communicators
This is a strong vote for earned reputation. You cannot buy your way into AI answers, and what credible third parties say about you carries the most weight. Media coverage still matters, as it builds the credibility AI draws on.
However, AI is also drawing on a wider range of sources, including official bodies, research and organisations’ own websites. For anyone working in housing, infrastructure, transport or the public sector, where planning documents, consultation pages and government sources are plentiful, the whole information ecosystem now shapes your reputation. The research also found ChatGPT and Gemini often cite different sources when asked the same question twice, so one-off checks can mislead.
What this means for organisations
- Keep investing in earned media. Credible coverage remains one of the biggest influences on what AI says about you.
- Treat your website as evidence. Clear, factual, up-to-date owned content is gaining ground as a source.
- Publish what others will cite. Original research and expert insight are valuable across media, partners and AI.
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