I’ve been working in PR for 23 years, running my own business for seven, and I still get a buzz every time I or my team secure a piece of media coverage for a client.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a short mention in the trade press or an interview on BBC News. Partly that’s because earned media is genuinely hard to land in such a crowded market, but it’s also because earned media matters, arguably more now than it ever has.

Here’s why:

Traditional media still shapes the agenda - National outlets continue to set the narrative. When they talk about you, people pay attention, and they trust it, because you haven’t paid for that endorsement.

AI is rewriting the search landscape - Search engines - and increasingly tools like ChatGPT - pull heavily from trusted, credible news sources. What journalists write about your organisation now directly shapes what people see when they search.

News drives social engagement - Most of the stories that trend on social media start life in a newsroom. If you want people talking about your cause, the fastest route is often through a piece of credible news coverage that sparks that wider conversation.

Trust in news brands is growing - People are becoming more cautious about what they read and hear on social media. They’re actively seeking news and information from reliable, authoritative sources. When your organisation appears in those trusted spaces, it reassures audiences that you’re credible, serious and worth listening to.

Earned media builds trust and credibility - and for purpose-driven organisations, that trust is everything.