Why Earned Media Matters More Than Ever
Written by Katie Sikorski, Senior Public Relations Manager
December 2, 2025
The traditional PR playbook, with its mass lists, generic pitches, and slow-moving campaigns, no longer delivers the kind of meaningful coverage brands need. A recent Bulldog Reporter article crystallizes this shift, but the reality is even bigger than that.
At LMO, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation across the earned media landscape. Audiences are fragmented. Journalists are stretched thin. Trust is scarce. And in an era of infinite content, attention isn’t purchased—it’s earned through precision and relevance.
Earned media has always been a credibility engine, but today it’s one of the last remaining signals people still believe. That’s why the era of broad, one-size-fits-all pitching is over. What works now is specificity: deep audience insight, authentic storytelling, and micro-campaigns that deliver meaning, not volume.
This is how LMO approaches earned media: not as an output, but as a partnership.
We build stories from modular narrative components such as data, lived experiences, technical insights, and customer stories. These can be reshaped for the journalist, the platform, and the moment. This allows us to uncover angles that feel personal, timely, and genuinely useful.
And we agree that measurement must evolve. Impressions and clip counts matter less than the impact they generate. Did coverage spark conversation? Attract the right audience? Shift perception? Accelerate consideration? Those are the signals that move brands and missions forward.
LMO also sees an emerging reality the article only hints at: earned media now sits at the intersection of journalism, influence, and technical expertise. The strongest stories today aren’t just timely—they’re informed by credible SMEs, micro-influencers who shape niche conversations, and behavior-change strategies that help audiences understand, decide, and act. This is the next frontier of earned media, and where brands can create disproportionate impact.
In short: earned media is no longer just a PR tactic. It’s a trust strategy. And trust is now a brand’s most valuable currency.
Shout loud, and you get ignored. Offer something meaningful, and you get heard.