The Rise of Earned Media: Why Journalists, Algorithms and AI Are All Pointing in the Same Direction
By Katie Johnson
The comeback narrative: why budgets are swinging back
For the past decade, marketing investment has tilted toward paid and owned channels. The CMO Survey found that, in 2022, digital marketing budgets averaged 44% paid media and 34% owned media, compared with 11% for earned media.
Paid social promised precision targeting, owned channels promised control and earned media was often treated as the unpredictable “nice to have” — desirable, but not as scalable as ads or content farms. Many brands quietly deprioritised media relations in favour of always‑on paid campaigns and high‑volume content.
In 2026, something interesting is happening. As AI reshapes how people discover information, search algorithms clamp down on low‑value content and audiences grow more skeptical, brands are rediscovering the strategic power of credible third‑party coverage.
The pattern is clear in conversations across the IPREX network:
Communications leaders are asking why competitors keep surfacing in AI answers, analyst notes and long‑form journalism — and they do not.
CMOs are realising their best‑performing content is often the article someone else wrote about them, not the hundredth blog they wrote about themselves.
PR teams are being pulled back into the centre of digital strategy, not just referenced when a release is needed.
Earned media hasn’t just survived the digital decade; it has become one of the most important investments a brand can make in an AI‑mediated world.
What AI search is doing to the content landscape
AI search is changing what visibility means. Large language models and AI overviews do not simply index pages; they generate answers, pulling heavily from sources they identify as authoritative and trustworthy.
Several trends stand out:
AI systems lean on third‑party sources. Reports tracking AI search behaviour show that models preferentially cite structured, factual coverage from recognised outlets and expert publications. Earned media becomes training data.
Brands with strong earned footprints appear more in AI answers. Studies have found that distributing stories through trusted news outlets can significantly lift a brand’s visibility in AI search and recommendation environments.
Search algorithms are cracking down on low‑quality, AI‑generated and overly optimised content. Recent Google updates explicitly reward original, authoritative content and devalue thin, manipulative material; authority and trust signals now carry more weight than ever.
Put simply: if you only talk about yourself on your own channels, AI tools and search engines have less reason to see you as an authority. When respected third‑party publications cover you, link to you and quote your experts, you gain exactly the credibility signals modern systems are built to reward.
What journalists want in 2026
While algorithms have changed, human editors and reporters still decide which stories make it into the outlets those algorithms trust. Their expectations have become sharper, not softer.
Fewer, better pitches. Journalists are overwhelmed by volume and underwhelmed by quality. Generic, broadcast‑style pitches are deleted quickly; tailored pitches that show understanding of the outlet and beat are more welcome.
Genuine expertise. Reporters want access to people who can actually explain what is happening, not just restate the press release. Clear, jargon‑free commentary beats buzzwords every time.
Data and evidence. Well‑sourced numbers, original research and real customer or user insight make stories more robust — and harder for AI to ignore later.
Global and local perspectives. Many outlets are hungry for stories that connect global themes with local impact. PR teams that can offer a coordinated view across markets have an edge.
The media relations playbook has not died; it has been refined. Relationship‑driven, insight‑led outreach is more valuable precisely because the bar is higher.
The multi‑market earned media advantage
This is where global networks like IPREX come into their own. When multiple agencies coordinate an earned strategy across markets, the impact compounds.
Imagine a sustainability‑focused brand launching a new initiative with support from IPREX partners in the U.S., Germany and India. Rather than three disconnected announcements, the teams build one shared narrative, adapted for each market’s context and media culture.
In the U.S., the focus is on investor relevance and industry disruption, placed in a national business outlet.
In Germany, the emphasis is on technical rigour and regulatory alignment, pitched to a respected trade publication.
In India, the story centres on local impact and job creation, landing in a leading economic daily.
Each placement stands alone, but together they create a global narrative arc: this brand is serious, credible and active across continents. AI systems and search algorithms see consistent coverage in authoritative sources; journalists see that peers in other markets have found the story worthwhile; stakeholders see a brand that is visible and validated wherever they look.
United States – North Carolina
The power of earned media is in creating one compelling story that can travel. When you build a narrative strong enough to resonate across markets and then thoughtfully localize it, one idea creates momentum, delivering far greater impact than a collection of disconnected local efforts.
Katie Johnson, SVP, French | West | Vaughn
How to build an earned media strategy that actually works
Turning the “earned renaissance” into results requires more than sending a few extra pitches. Four principles make the difference.
1. Start with the insight, not the announcement
Leading brands reverse the usual order. Instead of asking, “How do we get coverage for this product/update?” they ask, “What problem, tension or trend can we illuminate?”
Practical steps:
Build pitches around timely insights backed by data, customer stories or expert commentary.
Let announcements play a supporting role within that story, not the headline.
Look for connections to bigger themes journalists are already exploring — from AI and workforce change to sustainability or regulation.
This makes coverage more valuable, because it positions the brand as a contributor to the debate, not just a self‑promoter.
2. Build journalist relationships before you need them
In a world of overflowing inboxes, relationships matter more than press wires.
Identify the 20–30 journalists, editors and creators who genuinely shape opinion in your space.
Engage between news moments: comment on their work, share useful background, invite them to off‑the‑record briefings when appropriate.
Be known as a source of clarity and access, not just a sender of emails.
When a story breaks or a crisis hits, those pre‑existing relationships can determine whether your voice is included, how your side is framed — and which pieces later feed into AI‑generated summaries.
3. Think in formats: data, expert, visual
Earned media today spans more than the classic article. Newsletters, podcasts, YouTube channels, creator‑led outlets and specialist verticals all influence how AI and audiences learn about your brand.
Design your strategy around three flexible “building blocks”:
Data: original research, aggregated platform insight or unique patterns from your business that others cannot easily copy.
Expert voice: spokespeople who can explain complex issues in plain language and are comfortable across audio, video and written formats.
Visuals: charts, images, site visits, demos — assets that make the story easier to tell and more shareable.
The more formats you feed, the more touchpoints you create for both humans and algorithms to recognise your authority.
4. Measure consistently — including AI visibility
Traditional metrics like reach and sentiment still matter, but they do not tell the whole story in 2026. Leading teams are adding new layers to their earned media dashboards:
Presence in AI answers: how often your brand is mentioned or cited in AI search results around key topics.
Share of authoritative coverage: not just any mention, but appearances in outlets and formats that AI and humans treat as reference points.
Cross‑market coherence: whether your key messages and proof points are showing up consistently across different countries and languages.
This kind of measurement helps make the case for sustained earned investment — and aligns PR, digital and SEO teams around a shared view of what “success” looks like.
Turning the opportunity into advantage
Earned media is no longer just one channel among many. It shapes how journalists frame your story, how algorithms rank your authority, and how AI systems introduce you to people who have never visited your website.
For brands ready to lean into this opportunity, IPREX offers:
Global media relations expertise in tier‑1 markets and fast‑growing regions, coordinated through a single strategic lead.
Multi‑market campaign design that aligns narratives while respecting local media cultures.
Integrated measurement approaches that link coverage, digital performance and AI visibility.
To explore how a coordinated earned media strategy could elevate your brand in 2026 and beyond, connect with the IPREX network and find a partner agency in your key markets.