Why do some businesses get media coverage while others struggle to get noticed?

In this episode of CRUNCH, HMC Director Heather Claycomb is joined by Senior Account Managers Emma Letessier and Natalie Swart to unpack what “earned media” really means, and why it is much more than free publicity.

The team breaks down the four players involved in earning media attention: the business, the PR team, the journalist and, finally, the business again once the story is live. They talk about what makes a story genuinely newsworthy, why media relationships still matter, how businesses can lose control of a story once a journalist picks it up, and why that editorial independence is exactly what makes earned media so credible.

They also discuss why a single media hit should never be treated as the final result. Used well, media coverage can support reputation, sales conversations, recruitment, stakeholder trust, social media, website content, digital advertising and even AI search visibility.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why earned media is not the same as free publicity
• What makes a business story worth a journalist’s attention
• Why “one and done” media coverage is rarely enough
• How PR teams shape a story before it is pitched
• What businesses need to understand about editorial independence
• How to get more value from a media hit after it appears

If your business wants to build credibility, get found by the right people and use media coverage more strategically, this episode is a practical place to start.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• HMC
• AUT
• TVNZ
• Waikato Times