Earned Media 101: How to Break Through the Noise and Get Covered

In the world of public relations, media coverage typically falls into two categories: paid media and earned media. While paid media refers to advertorial content that is purchased and controlled, allowing you to craft your message exactly as intended, earned media is coverage you don’t pay for. It’s secured by pitching story ideas to editors or journalists who, if intrigued, choose to cover it editorially.

Because it comes from an independent third party, earned media is often seen as more credible and influential than paid placements. But here’s the truth: most of what you see in magazines, online outlets, or newspapers today is paid. That’s not because earned media is irrelevant but because it’s hard to land.

Editors at top publications can receive hundreds or even thousands of pitches daily. To break through, you need to understand what they care about, tailor your pitch accordingly, and deliver it in a way that grabs attention fast. Here’s how to improve your odds.

Step 1: Understand What Editors Want

Editors aren’t just looking for “interesting” stories, they’re looking for stories their audience will care about. Their job is to deliver timely, relevant, and engaging content that drives traffic, sparks conversation, or informs their readership.

That means your pitch must be valuable to them, not just valuable to you.

To align with what they’re writing about:

• Stay on top of emerging trends. Set up Google Alerts for relevant keywords, but remember: if it’s hitting your inbox, it may already be too late.
• Go where trends start, not where they end, TikTok, Reddit, and X are often where real-time conversations begin. Spend 10–15 minutes each day browsing relevant hashtags or creators in your niche. You’re not just looking for viral content—you’re looking for angles, insights, or gaps in coverage that you can jump on before it peaks.

Step 2: Craft Tailored Pitches

Once you’ve got your story idea, make sure your pitch feels personal and relevant to the writer or outlet you’re targeting. Avoid blanket emails because customization is key.

Here are a few ways to tailor your pitch:

• Reference a previous article by the journalist and explain how your idea builds on or complements it.
• Anchor your idea in a timely context e.g., link it to a seasonal trend, holiday, cultural moment, or recent news story.
• Be clear about why it matters now and who would benefit from reading it.
  

A tailored pitch signals that you’ve done your homework and that you’re not just blasting out the same idea to everyone.

Step 3: Write Like a Pro (Concise, Punchy, and Compelling)

Your subject line is your first impression: make it clear, intriguing, and benefit-focused. Avoid generic lines like “Story Idea” or “PR Pitch.” Instead, aim for curiosity or relevance:

• “Why Gen Z Is Turning to TikTok for Career Advice”
• “This Vancouver Startup Is Helping Reduce Digital Carbon Footprints”

Then, keep your body short and sharp. Get to the point quickly:

• One or two sentences summarizing the story idea and why it matters now.
• A brief call to action (e.g., “Let me know if you’d be interested in covering this” or “Happy to provide more background or set up an interview”).

Think like a journalist. What’s the headline? Who does this story impact? What fresh insight does it offer?

Even the best pitches get ignored. Don’t be discouraged, following-up is part of the process. At the end of the day, you might send 20, 50, or even 100 pitches before you hear back. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it means you’re playing a long game.

Great earned media comes down to timing, relevance, and relationship-building. Keep refining your approach, learning from each pitch, and building rapport with writers over time.

Earned media isn’t easy but that’s what makes it so powerful. When an editor chooses to feature your story without being paid to do so, it’s a sign that your message genuinely resonates. Keep showing up with value, stay consistent, and eventually, your pitch will land.