You Can't Buy Earned Media. Here's What Actually Works

Before I was a CMO, I was a PR girl.

I got my BA in Journalism and Public Relations from California State University, Chico. Then I spent two years at MSLGROUP, a global public relations agency in San Francisco, where I perfected the art of getting coverage for my clients and building relationships with reporters at Forbes, USA Today, TechCrunch, and more.

Media relations is the practice of building genuine relationships with journalists so that when you have news worth covering, they actually respond to your message. It was one of the first things I mastered in my career, and it's shaped how I think about communications ever since. I recently sat down with seasoned PR pro Margaret Hyde (@0xcoolgirl) on GTM Tea to talk through exactly this. This post is a continuation of that discussion.

What Is Media Relations, Exactly?

Media relations is not PR.

PR is the broader discipline: messaging, positioning, reputation management. Media relations is one specific and critical component of it — the ongoing work of building trust with journalists so they think of you as a credible source, not just another pitch in their inbox.

It's also not the same as advertising or sponsored content. Earned media means a journalist chose to cover you. That choice is influenced by relationships, relevance, and timing — not by how much you're willing to spend.

You Can't Come in Cold

The first thing they teach you in agency PR is that journalists are not a vending machine. You don't drop in a pitch and get a story out. The reporters worth pitching are busy, skeptical, and drowning in unsolicited emails from people who haven't read a single thing they've written.

What actually works is doing the work before you need anything. That means:

1. Reading their articles consistently and knowing what they actually cover
2. Commenting thoughtfully on what they post on social
3. Sending them tips or sources that have nothing to do with your clients
4. Showing up as a resource, not just a requester

That groundwork takes time. Months, sometimes. But it's what transforms you from a cold email in a crowded inbox into a trusted contact they'll actually respond to. When your big announcement drops, you want reporters to already know your name and know you don't waste their time.

None of this guarantees coverage. But it meaningfully improves your odds — and the alternative is a pitch that's the equivalent of a cold call.

The Cold Pitch Problem

The alternative is what most people default to: finding a list of journalists who cover their space, blasting out a pitch, and hoping for the best. Nine times out of ten, they get ignored.

This isn't because the company isn't interesting or the news isn't real. It's because context matters. A reporter who doesn't know you, has no relationship with you, and is already fielding a hundred other pitches has no particular reason to prioritize yours.

Here's how it usually breaks down:

The instinct is to treat earned media like a faucet you can turn on when you need it. It doesn't work that way. Earned media is more like a garden. You have to tend it before you need anything from it.

What Building Media Relationships Actually Looks Like

Building media relationships doesn't require a massive PR budget or an agency retainer. What it requires is consistency and genuine curiosity about what journalists are actually working on.

Start by identifying 5–10 reporters who cover your space, are respected, and whose audiences overlap with yours. Then:

1. Follow them and read their work regularly
2. Engage in ways that show you've actually read it — a thoughtful comment on their article or social post
3. Offer value: a data point, a source, an industry tip, before you ever ask for anything
4. Be patient and treat it as building a relationship with a friend

Over time, you become someone they think of when they're working a story in your space — not just someone who shows up when you want a favor.

Why the Long Game Wins

The teams that treat media relations as an ongoing practice — not a launch tactic — are the ones that end up with consistent coverage. Not just a spike around an announcement that quickly fades, but a steady presence in the publications that matter to their audience.

Journalists are looking for credible voices with real expertise and a genuine point of view. If you've been consistently showing up, sharing insights, and building a presence in your industry, you're a far more compelling source than someone who cold emails a press release and waits.

Media relations is a long game. Put in the relationship work first and the coverage will follow.