Beyond earned media: A new PR playbook

A strong PR plan should balance day-to-day visibility with long-term brand building. At most plans’ core will be some sort of press office, one that fields reactive inquiries, chases proactive opportunities, and strives to create a consistent drumbeat of attention. That ongoing media presence is further punctuated by product launches, releases, or announcements that help create heightened awareness around a singular piece of news or event. That describes the basic tenets of a traditional PR plan for earned media (acknowledging that the PR function is much broader). But the playbook that agencies and in-house teams are using to deliver that is evolving; it looks vastly different in 2026 than it did a decade ago. FRAGMENTATION IN MEDIA With changes in consumer media habits and the digital diversification of news, media has become deeply fragmented. People no longer get their news from a handful of publications or local newspapers; they get it through social feeds, newsletters, podcasts,