Media types describe the relationship between an organization, a channel, and an audience. The useful distinction is editorial control and payment, not whether the message appears on a screen. A clear channel map helps prevent paid placements from being presented as independent coverage.
Earned media
Earned media includes independent editorial coverage or commentary that an organization did not buy or control. A reporter may use a source’s data or interview a spokesperson, but the newsroom decides whether and how to publish. A pitch is an invitation, not an order for favorable language, links, or publication dates.
Record the actual story, its context, and any corrections, not just an impression estimate. A critical story can still be an earned result; calling only positive stories earned media confuses channel with sentiment. If money or a material benefit bought the placement, describe that relationship plainly.
Paid, owned, and shared media
Paid media includes ads, sponsored posts, and other placements bought by an advertiser. The format may resemble an article, but commercial sponsorship should be clear. The FTC warns that concealing the commercial nature of native advertising can mislead readers. Buying distribution for a release does not make later independent reporting a paid placement; track the two separately.
Owned media consists of channels an organization controls, such as its website, newsroom, email list, or report. Shared media involves conversation and redistribution on social platforms and communities. These labels overlap in practice: a paid social post can appear on a platform where people also share an owned article. Label the activity, not just the website.
Match the channel to the job
Use an owned page when the audience needs a stable, complete source of record. Approach journalists when a development is newsworthy beyond the organization and can be independently checked. Use paid reach when the goal requires predictable exposure and the budget and disclosure are appropriate. Shared discussion may reveal questions and objections that a one-way release will miss.
Consider accessibility, search visibility, audience trust, timing, and measurement. A niche trade outlet with a small but relevant readership may be more useful than a large unrelated audience. No channel guarantees understanding or action merely because a message was published.
Report results without mixing categories
List placements by type and disclose material sponsorship. For each channel, capture an appropriate measure: relevant coverage and message accuracy for earned stories, delivery and response for owned email, reach and conversion for paid activity, and meaningful participation for shared discussion. Then ask what changed for the intended audience.
A combined reach total can double-count the same person across multiple channels. Explain what was measured and what remains unknown. That distinction makes the report more credible than a single inflated visibility number.