What earned media is, why it works and how to resource it
Many nonprofits treat earned media as a “nice to have”. It can feel unpredictable – you might pull together a press release, send it out to some journalist contacts, hope for a response. If nothing happens, you just feel like time was wasted.
That completely makes sense, from one perspective. Small comms teams have limited hours and juggle many tasks. Media can feel like a ‘big swing’ when other outputs, like a social media post or a newsletter, feel more predictable.
But that’s not the full story. Approaching the media can repay the effort many times over. The difference is, the media needs to be treated as a strategy, not a story. When you finally see that story on a media website, there’s this incredible feeling: there’s your brand, out there making a statement! Exuding credibility. And those links pile up into multiple proof points that others can verify, leading to more coverage, and higher visibility that translates into impact on your mission (and/or… fundraising results.)
What ‘earned media’ means
Earned media is coverage you do not pay for. It includes print, broadcast and digital outlets. It can also include podcasts, Substack and other editorial newsletters when a producer or editor chooses your work because it fits their audience.
The common factor is editorial independence. A third party decides your story has value. That decision can carry more weight than your own channels, especially with people who do not know you yet.
When earned media > owned channels
Your owned channels – website, email list, your social media, etc – give you control and consistency. Earned media’s role is to reach people who would not search for or follow the organisation off their own bat.
It also helps build trust through context. Credible media coverage signals that your organisation can deliver – a core motivator for donors, partners and other journalists to consider you for collaborations.
Earned media can support four common nonprofit goals.
- Credibility with new audiences
When a respected outlet features your organisation’s work, it reduces perceived risk for first-time supporters. People often use trusted media as a shortcut for “this is worth my attention”. This is why media-sponsored campaigns and fundraising partnerships are so effective and sought-after – think about newspapers’ Christmas appeals or Ramadan giving campaigns. - Fundraising
Donors and funders assess the organisation’s track record, and often Google or use Agentic search to validate what a proposal says. A strong media page can support that assessment, especially when coverage links your work to evidence of outcomes. - Influence with decision-makers
Policy and systems change definitely doesn’t hinge on a single article. But media coverage can help build sustained visibility around an issue. The visibility in turn opens doors for campaigning – more partners, more supporters, and attention on a policy or decision-maker level. - Search and discovery benefits
Coverage that mentions your brand strengthens your presence in AI-powered and agentic search results. These systems summarise “who to trust” across sources, and prioritise credible media outlets as one of those sources. Backlinks from reputable outlets also improve search engine optimisation (SEO) performance by signalling authority to search engines.
Do you have the right kind of stories?
No matter how much a journalist likes or empathises with your cause, they need a story that meets editorial standards for their outlet. A great story happens when various components come together – a whole separate topic for another blog! – but as a start, they may be looking for data, a credible spokesperson, a strong case study with consent and/or a clear explanation of what’s changing and why it matters now.
Nonprofits often have stronger raw material than they realise. These organisations are looking at social movements and patterns before they reach the mainstream. Charities’ frontline work can be translated into insight and data sets. They also have access to experts and communities with lived experience, and a story to tell.
Like with any other kind of communications, ethical media work must protect the rights and dignity of the people who are featured, and requires their informed consent.
What an earned media strategy looks like
A practical strategy should usually include:
- priority audiences and outcomes
- story angles that match your mission and proof, and a plan for where these stories will come from
- spokespeople who are trained and supported, ideally with expertise and/or lived experience to share
- a media list mapped to your issues and audiences (this does not always have to be the New York Times or the BBC – it should reflect what you’re trying to achieve strategically not just the outlets everyone defaults to when they think of ‘media’)
- a plan and timeline for pitching, follow-up and relationship building, within available resources
- a plan for what to do with coverage (how will it feed back into fundraising, partnerships and/or advocacy.)
Warning: Announcements that come out of the blue can end up with little or no coverage! Your organisation’s news needs to sit within a strategy like this. If you are starting from scratch, expect to build up trust and media exposure over time.
Our experience of impactful earned media
AMS’s media agency works with purpose-driven organisations across multiple regions and issue areas. Our media work focuses on storytelling and brand building that elevates the issues and programmes our partner organisations stand for.
In one year, our team supported 250+ media placements for one organisation, and secured coverage in 20+ major international outlets. Those outlets included AFP, ABC, DW, France 24, Al Jazeera, dpa, TRT, Fox News, Associated Press, CBS, BBC and NBC. Other organisations have had coverage for their big news moments, or their advocacy campaigns, thanks to our outreach. This success came from building coverage over time, from developing relationships with trusted journalists, and sourcing really strong stories in partnership with the client organisations. Having a great team is essential – people who are motivated, love their work, and care about the outcome.
Results definitely vary by issue, timing and capacity. But there is a pattern: when an organisation brings clear evidence, a credible point of view and sustained effort to develop media presence, the outcomes become more predictable.
When earned media is a good investment… and when it is not
Earned media works best when the organisation is clear on its goals. An earned media strategy can help to:
- build trust quickly with new audiences
- support the organisation’s fundraising or influencing capacity via third-party credibility
- attract partners, talent or coalition members
- shift public framing on an issue over time
- create a platform for experts and lived experience voices
Media can be a poor fit when you cannot support follow-up. Coverage creates attention – be ready with a donation journey, landing pages and stakeholder planning to support it.
How to resource earned media
Most nonprofits choose one of three paths. Each can work. The right choice depends on budget, capacity and the level of ambition.
Option 1: Hire a large agency
Large agencies bring scale. They often have broader staffing, established processes and experience with complex campaigns. They can also cost more and feel less personal. Some teams find they get a rotating set of account executives and less responsive service, especially if they are a relatively small client among the agency’s other more affluent partners. Large agencies tend to suit organisations that run high-volume work, need fast production support and can budget for it.
Option 2: Work with a boutique agency
Boutique agencies often offer closer relationships and faster iteration. They can bring niche expertise and sharper focus on a specific mission space. The trade-off is resourcing. A smaller team may have fewer hands available at once. Some boutiques also cap the scale they can support during peak moments. Boutique support tends to suit organisations that value strategy, responsiveness and continuity, and that want a partner who can work closely with internal teams.
Option 3: Insourcing
Bringing media in-house can create speed and control. It can also reduce long-term costs once you build the function well. Insourcing requires management time, hiring or training, and sustained internal commitment (and long term budgets). Teams can also lose external perspective over time, especially when they sit too close to the work. Insourcing tends to suit organisations with stable funding, internal leadership buy-in and enough volume of stories to keep media staff productively engaged.
How to evaluate a media agency
Many agencies present the same checklist. What matters is whether they can show how they work and what outcomes they tend to produce.
Here are six practical criteria to consider when choosing:
1) Ask for evidence and test it.
Look for concrete proof of impact, such as named outlets, placement examples and reporting that connects media work to outcomes you care about. Ask about the timelines on past work and the budget that was required to achieve it.
2) Check whether they understand nonprofit values and risk
Nonprofits face different scrutiny than brands. The partner needs to understand ethical storytelling, protects consent and respects safeguarding requirements. Does the agency align with your working cultures and values, as well as your goals?
3) Look for positioning skill, not just pitching
Pitching is execution. Positioning is the upstream work that makes pitching work. Strong partners help you define what you stand for, what you can prove and what you will not claim. Look for an agency that will also tell you when the story is too weak, and ask for what they want and need to succeed. Ensure you are able to talk as peers with each other and clearly understand what each party must bring to ensure that there are solid results.
4) Test their process
Ask how they build a media list, develop angles and decide what to pitch. A clear process signals you will not rely on individual relationships alone – these cap out quickly.
5) Confirm who does the work
Ask whether seniors stay involved and what day-to-day delivery looks like. Check that the agency is not going to push your work down to only the most junior staff, and that there is some latency in their staffing system. You could ask about staff retention, as high turnover can signal ineffective work cultures.
6) Choose reporting that matches your reality
Good reporting is simple. It should track placements, quality signals, message pull-through and referral impact. It should also flag what did not work and what changes next. Does the agency understand how to compile solid reporting, and are they able to work with the monitoring system of your choice?
Next step
Building an earned media ‘engine’ can be a high value part of your communications blend. If you want a partner to build that system with you, AMS’ Media Agency can help. We are a flexible, boutique agency that works with an expert international talent pool to deliver your goals. Contact us to discuss how we can help.
