We recently sat down with Dom Nicastro, Editor-in-Chief of CMSWire, to explore how AI and searchability continue to reshape journalism and what really makes a pitch resonate today. Dom offers a candid and insightful look into the challenges and opportunities facing media in 2025 and beyond.
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Q: Looking back over your career, what are the biggest changes that have fundamentally altered how you practice journalism today?
“What’s changed the biggest in journalism in my career? It’s the Internet… AI is not close yet to the impact the Internet had on journalism.”
He explains that, years ago, competition was local — winning the narrative in the community coffee shop. With the Internet coming onto the scene during the time he was reporting, competition shifted primarily toward searchability and discoverability.
“To be competitive now with other outlets in our space, I’m always thinking about how to get ahead of them in searchability and discoverability. We want CMSWire to be numero uno in Google for things like ‘customer experience news.’”
Q: How has the rise of AI search impacted your editorial calendar or the kinds of stories you prioritize at CMSWire?
While AI hasn’t yet rivaled the Internet’s disruption, it’s certainly reshaping how journalists work. Dom describes AI as a tool for efficiency, not creativity — one that accelerates his workflow without replacing editorial judgment.
“AI has made me a faster editor by helping to dissect long transcripts and code for article formatting and data aggregation.”
Like most publications, CMSWire is exploring ways to increase visibility in AI Overviews and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Still, organic and email traffic remain CMSWire’s strongest referral channels.
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Q: What makes a strong source to you?
Dom values agenda-free insights and practitioner perspectives over vendor promotion.
He cautions PR professionals against leading with products and encourages them to focus on building thought leader exposure — developing a person’s brand before the company’s.
“I’d rather interview the customer of a technology provider — the practitioner — than the executive. But I’m not looking for a case study,” Dom noted.
Dom also reminds PR pros to control their own narratives. “If I’m interviewing your customer, I probably won’t mention the vendor unless it’s unavoidable. But your PR team can amplify that interview on your owned channels to show you’re part of the story.”
Q: What are some of your PR/pitch pet peeves?
Interestingly, Dom’s biggest frustration isn’t with PR professionals — it’s with journalists who criticize them. He specifically referenced journalists who complain about PR professionals asking to cut a part of an interview.
“That’s the fundamental thing that a PR person does. They’re trying to protect their client… And what does it hurt to ask? And what does it hurt to receive that question if you’re the journalist? Why go on LinkedIn to complain about it? Just say no and move on with your life.”
He also encourages PR professionals to plan ahead (as much as they’re able): “Pitching news with a press release link and asking for coverage a week later is too late for a digital media company that competes on organic search traffic.”
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Q: If you could give one piece of advice to a new reporter starting out today, what would it be?
Dom’s advice for a new reporter starting out today is simple and timeless:
“Connect with people. This job is about getting people to talk to you. It’s not about research — that’s part of it — but it’s not the bread and butter. I don’t care if it’s AI or the Internet or SEO, you still need to get in front of people and find good people to give you good comments.”
Q: What are you currently working on at CMSWire?
CMSWire’s editorial focus is primarily on Customer Experience (CX) and the Digital Experience (DX) world, though Dom noted the former is currently hotter than the latter.
For the CX space, the biggest stories right now revolve around how AI is impacting the agent experience and the customer service world. Dom’s eager to connect with practitioners — especially from well-known brands — who are using AI to innovate responsibly in customer engagement.
“I want to hear from agents using these tools daily. What’s really happening on the front lines of AI in CX?”
Authentic Storytelling: How PAN’s Media Experts Are Maintaining Human Connection
Dom Nicastro’s perspective underscores an enduring truth: while technology evolves, authentic storytelling still begins with human connection.
At PAN, we share that belief. Whether we’re helping brands engage journalists or crafting integrated communications strategies, we know that curiosity, empathy, and clarity move ideas — and audiences — forward.
