In an era where AI-generated fakes can move markets, financial companies face a paradox: It has never been easier to create content—and never harder to build trust. Why high-quality journalism is becoming the ultimate currency in financial communications and why we must write press releases for machines as well as humans in the future.

ChatGPT generates convincing market analyses based on fabricated data in seconds. AI videos show executives in scenes that never took place. Social media algorithms reward content that triggers outrage rather than truth.

For financial communications, this raises an existential question: How can communication remain credible in a market flooded with synthetic content?

Legacy Media as a Quality Filter
Reputable business outlets like the FAZ, Handelsblatt, or established trade media are much more than mere distribution channels today. They perform an indispensable filtering function in the flood of information. Editorial teams verify sources, provide context, and take responsibility. They strictly separate reporting from advertising and are liable for their content.

A study by the IU International University of Applied Sciences underscores this: nearly nine out of ten people in Germany see fake news and deepfakes as a serious threat to democracy. The result is a renaissance of trust: legacy media enjoys significantly higher credibility than social platforms or AI offerings. Trust gravitates to where journalistic standards apply.

A quote in such a medium is therefore not mere window dressing. It is communicative capital. It signals professional relevance and secures sustainable thought leadership.

The New Principles of Financial Communications
Anyone who wants to communicate credibly under these conditions needs to update their „operating system“. Merely being present is no longer enough. We see three decisive factors for success:

– Verifiability Over Prose: Studies, data, and market assessments must be documented so that editorial teams can verify them. Transparency is the new standard.
– GAIO (Generative AI Optimization): The search for information is fundamentally changing. Many people now have content summarized by AI. Content must be structured and properly attributed today so that AI systems can process it without errors and cite it credibly. Those who optimize here win the thought leadership of the future.
– Continuity Over Events: A single comment on interest rate trends remains a snapshot in time. Real media relations is relationship work. It requires reliable contacts and consistent messaging, not one-hit wonders.

Information is Only as Strong as its Source
In our daily consulting practice, we see how effectively these principles work. Modern financial communications is much more than just working through distribution lists today. It is the long-term development of relationships and themes. Only those who understand communication as a continuous process, rather than a one-off event, will still break through today.
In an age where AI can produce deceivingly real deepfakes, reliable communication is not becoming easier, but more valuable. Those responsible for financial communications shape trust. In every press release, every interview, and every presentation. Legacy media remains the central point of reference for this. Not because it is flawless, but because it is measured against verifiable standards. That is exactly what makes the difference.