09/30/2026
It’s easy to wonder whether earned media still matters.
Brands can publish directly to their audiences. Organizations have their own social channels, newsletters, websites and podcasts. Paid media can put a message in front of thousands of people almost instantly.
But there’s something those channels can’t fully replicate: the credibility that comes when someone else finds your story worth telling.
A thoughtful article in a respected publication does more than generate impressions. It provides third-party validation. It introduces your organization to people outside your existing audience. It gives partners, donors, customers and stakeholders something credible to share. And it can shape how people understand your organization long after the initial story appears.
That doesn’t mean sending a press release to hundreds of journalists and hoping someone bites.
Good media relations starts much earlier.
What is genuinely interesting here? Why does it matter now? Who is affected? What larger conversation does it connect to? And which journalist is actually going to care?
After more than two decades working in media relations, I still believe some of the best PR happens when you stop thinking about what you want to announce and start thinking about what makes it a story.