PR Glossary

Earned Media

Press coverage you receive without paying for it — the result of successful PR outreach.

What is a Earned Media?

Earned media is editorial coverage your company receives for free — articles, reviews, interviews, and features published in third-party outlets. It is called 'earned' because you cannot buy it; you have to earn it through genuine news value or compelling story-telling. Earned media is more credible than paid advertising because readers trust independent editorial voices.

How Earned Media Relates to PR Outreach

Every PressPitch.ai campaign is designed to generate earned media: by targeting the right journalists with personalised pitches, you maximise the number of genuine articles and mentions your company receives.

Best Practices

  • Track all earned media mentions with Google Alerts or a media monitoring tool.
  • Repurpose earned media — add 'as featured in' logos to your website.
  • Earned media outperforms paid ads for long-term SEO because it generates real backlinks.

Frequently Asked Questions about Earned Media

What's the difference between earned, owned, and paid media?

Owned media is your website, blog, and social channels. Paid media is advertising. Earned media is third-party coverage you receive because a journalist or editor found your story worth covering.

Related PR Terms

Media Pickup

When a journalist or publication covers your story after receiving your press release or pitch.

Media Outreach

The process of proactively contacting journalists to secure coverage.

PR Strategy

A plan that defines your PR goals, target audiences, key messages, and outreach approach.

Thought Leadership

Positioning yourself or your company as an expert authority in your industry.

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