Paid syndication is not earned media
Why we never report a paid wire placement as coverage, and what founders should ask any agency that does.
A launch report lands in the founder’s inbox: “Featured in 200+ outlets.” Open the links and it’s the same press release, word for word, on syndication sites that publish whatever they’re paid to publish. Nobody chose to write about the project. Nobody will read it.
Nothing is wrong with buying distribution. It’s a legitimate tool, and sometimes the right one. What’s wrong is calling it coverage.
Why it matters
Reporters check. Investors check. When a team’s “press” turns out to be a wire push, the team loses credibility on the next pitch, which is the one that would have mattered.
Earned media is a reporter, editor or producer deciding your story is worth their audience’s time. You can’t buy that decision, only earn it with a story they want, a spokesperson ready to tell it, and a pitch that respects their beat.
Our rule
Paid syndication is never reported as earned media. Every paid creator post is disclosed. If a placement was bought, the report says so.
Five questions to ask any agency
- Which of these placements were paid, and which were earned?
- Which reporters did you pitch, and which said yes?
- Can I see the coverage list with links, not just outlet logos?
- How many of these outlets would a reporter at a tier-one publication read?
- What did the coverage change: searches, sign-ups, inbound from investors?
If the answers are vague, so is the coverage.