Unpaid, Earned Media Outreach
Media Relations Services:Outreach Scoped in Writing
This page is about the unpaid, earned side of PR: pitching editors and reporters and offering expert commentary, so that coverage runs only if an editor chooses to run it. Nothing is paid to an outlet, and nothing is promised. A paid, labeled placement with a guaranteed publication window is a different service, described separately.
Outreach, Scoped in Writing
Strategy by Anthony Will, Founder & CEO · 13+ years in ORM · 5,000+ clientsRated 5.0 · read 228 client testimonials(opens in a new tab)- Unpaid and earned. Nothing is paid to an outlet, and coverage runs only if an editor chooses to run it. That is why no coverage is promised. What we do →
- Scoped in writing. Who the story is for, what we pitch, how often and what you receive are written down before anything starts, and only if you choose it. How it works →
- The paid side is separate. A paid placement is labeled as sponsored and sold on its own terms, never blended into outreach and never described as earned. Read the FAQ →
What are media relations services?
The short answer
Media relations services are the unpaid, earned side of public relations: identifying the editors and reporters who cover a subject, pitching them a story or offering expert commentary, and following up. Coverage runs only if an editor decides it is worth running, so no one can promise it, and we do not. The work is scoped in writing with named deliverables. A paid, labeled placement is a different service, and it is kept separate.
How we approach media relations
The problem: most PR services are sold as effort, and the part buyers care about, coverage, is not something a provider controls. Pitches go to people who receive many of them, editors decide on their own timelines, and a good story can still be passed over. A provider that promises coverage is promising something an editor decides. The honest version of media relations says so up front and shows its work.
What we do: we scope the outreach in writing before it starts. That covers who the story is for, which subjects and kinds of publication are worth pitching, how many pitches and what follow-up, and what you receive and when. The work can include story angles and expert commentary prepared from your facts and from quotes you approve, a targeted list of editors and reporters with the reason each one is on it, pitches written for the person receiving them, and a report on every pitch sent, including the ones that did not land. No coverage, number of placements or publication date is promised, because editors decide what runs.
What we do not do: we do not promise coverage, a number of placements or a date. We do not book broadcast, podcast or speaking appearances or award submissions as part of this service, and we do not pay outlets for coverage. If you want a paid placement, that is a separate service, a guaranteed featured article, which is paid only after publication and labeled as sponsored. We keep the two apart so that you always know which is which, and we never describe a paid placement as earned.
When a pitch does not land: that is a normal outcome, not a failure of the process. We report what happened to every pitch, not only the wins, then look at whether a different angle, a different subject or a different outlet fits better, and adjust the next round. You pay for the work scoped in writing, as a retainer or a fixed-scope project written down before work starts. No coverage was promised, so none is billed as a result.
If you would rather do the pitching yourself, our media pitch template guide shows how to write a pitch and build a list, and our guide to HARO alternatives covers where journalists look for sources. We would rather you know what the work involves than buy it blind.
Where it fits: if you need a retained team to run a full communications program, a public relations firm may be the better fit, and our own firm page explains what we take on and what we do not. Coverage can support how you appear in search, but it is not a ranking promise, and what PR can and cannot do for search is covered under PR for SEO.
What it costs, and what we will not do: pricing for outreach is a retainer or a fixed-scope project, in writing, and we do not publish prices on this page. Only four things we do are paid on result: removal of qualifying content, guaranteed featured articles after publication, Wikipedia page creation when the page is published, and a Google Knowledge Panel when it is live. Media outreach is not one of them. Reputation Resolutions has worked on online reputation since 2013, is A+ BBB accredited and a Google Partner, is an Inc. Best Workplaces honoree, and serves clients in 40+ countries.
What the Sources Say
What the FTC says about paid and unpaid coverage
Sources read in November 2026. Summarized in our words, so read the originals.
What the sources say
- The FTC's native advertising guide says an ad can be deceptive if it misleads people about its commercial nature, and that the FTC looks at overall context, including format. That is the line between a paid article, which has to be disclosed, and coverage an editor chose to run. Source: FTC, Native Advertising: A Guide for Businesses
- The FTC's Endorsement Guides FAQ says a connection between a marketer and someone who speaks about it has to be disclosed when many people would not expect it and it could affect how they weigh what is said. It lists payment and free products or trips among such connections, and names ad agencies and PR firms among the usual focus of enforcement. Source: FTC, FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking
- The same FAQ says the Guides do not have the force of law, but practices inconsistent with them may lead to enforcement under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Source: FTC, FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking
What no one can promise
Including us.
- Whether an editor or reporter replies, runs a story or uses a quote. They decide, on their own timelines.
- How many pitches will land, or whether any will. A pitch that does not land is a normal outcome, not a promise broken.
- Where, or whether, coverage ranks in search, or what an AI assistant says about it.
- Whether coverage can be removed or changed later. Editors decide that too.
- How a particular situation applies under advertising rules. We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice, so ask your counsel.
This is general information about published guidance, not legal advice. Corrections: tell us.
Why Honest Scope Matters
Coverage is an editor's decision, so the scope has to be ours
Editors decide, so coverage cannot be promised
A reporter can ignore a pitch for any reason, and an editor can run a story or not. A provider can control the quality of the pitch and the care in targeting, not the answer. That is what a written scope can honestly commit to.
A pitch is a request, not a purchase
Nothing is paid to an outlet. If money changes hands for a placement, it is a paid placement, and the FTC's native advertising guide says an ad can be deceptive if it misleads people about its commercial nature. We keep the two separate.
Relevance beats volume
A pitch sent to someone who does not cover the subject is noise. Targeting, and a clear reason each person is on the list, is most of the work.
Reporters check, so facts have to hold up
We work from facts you can support and quotes the person has approved. A pitch built on a claim that does not survive checking costs you more than it earns.
Coverage does not replace a clean first page
If a damaging result ranks for your name, a reader finds it beside any new coverage. We look at what is already findable before pitching, and removal comes first where content qualifies.
You should see what did not work
We report every pitch, not only the wins. A report that hides the pitches that did not land cannot tell you whether the approach is working.
Who It Is For
Who media relations is for
Founders and executives with a point of view
You have a position worth stating on a subject you know, and want it offered to the people who cover that subject, with quotes you approve.
Companies with a story
A launch, a study, a leadership change or a milestone with a real angle. We tell you honestly when the angle is not strong enough yet.
Experts who want to offer commentary
Commentary prepared from your facts and offered to reporters writing on your subject. What a reporter uses is the reporter's decision.
Teams without in-house communications
A written scope, a report on every pitch and one point of contact, without hiring a full team or committing to a long retainer you have not seen.
Teams that already have an agency
We can handle one defined outreach program beside your existing PR, or hand you the media list and pitches to run yourselves.
Anyone expecting a guarantee
This is not the right service for you. A paid, labeled placement with a guaranteed publication window is sold separately, and we will say which fits your goal.
What We Do
Outreach, scoped in writing. No coverage promised.
Targeted outreach
Scoped in writing. Pitches to editors and reporters who cover your subject, with named deliverables and follow-up set in the scope. No coverage, number of placements or publication date is promised, because editors decide what runs.
Expert commentary
Scoped in writing. Commentary prepared from your facts and from quotes you approve, offered to reporters writing on your subject. Whether a quote is used is the reporter's decision.
Media lists
Scoped in writing. A targeted list of editors and reporters with the reason each one is on it, which you keep, so you can run outreach yourself if you choose.
Story angles and pitch writing
Scoped in writing. Angles built from facts you can support, and pitches written for the person receiving them. You approve what goes out in your name.
Reporting on every pitch
Scoped in writing. A report on every pitch sent, including the ones that did not land, and what we would change in the next round.
Checking what is already findable
Before pitching, we look at what search returns for your name, because new coverage lands beside what already ranks. Where content qualifies for removal, that comes first and is paid only after removal is confirmed.
Not part of this service
Broadcast, podcast and speaking bookings and award submissions are not part of media relations here. We do not pay outlets for coverage, and we do not describe a paid placement as earned.
The Process
What happens when you call
- 01
You call or submit the form
Start here.Call 855-239-5322 or use the form below for a free consultation. No obligation.
- 02
Goal and fit
Plain questions.We ask what you want coverage to do, who should read it, and what the story is. Sometimes the answer is that the story is not ready, or that a paid featured article fits the goal better, and we say so.
- 03
Look at what is findable
Before pitching.We check what search returns for your name or brand, so pitches do not land next to something that undercuts them.
- 04
A written scope
Nothing vague.You get the scope in writing: the audience, the subjects and publication types, the number and kind of pitches, the follow-up, the report and the pricing basis (retainer or fixed project). No coverage is promised in it.
- 05
Outreach
Your approval.We pitch and offer commentary in the order the scope sets. You approve what goes out in your name.
- 06
Report and adjust
Evidence, not promises.We report on every pitch, including the ones that did not land, and adjust the next round. You can end or change the scope as the written terms allow.
Free to ask. Scoped in writing.
A free consultation covers whether earned media outreach fits your story. Anything we do is scoped in writing first, with no coverage promised.
Honest Timelines
Timelines, and what we will not promise
We do not put a response time or a coverage date on this page, because editors and reporters set their own. We confirm what we can commit to, which is our own deliverables, in the written scope.
We confirm the timeline for our own deliverables with you at intake, before anything is scoped or priced.
Pitches go out after you approve the scope and what goes out in your name.
Some reply, many do not, and some reply later. We follow up as the scope sets and report what happened.
If coverage runs, it runs when an editor decides. We promise no coverage and no date.
Search engines and assistants refresh on their own schedules, and coverage may or may not be shown or cited.
Why We're Different
Scoped outreach vs. providers that promise coverage
What is promised
Provider that promises coverage
Often coverage, placements or "top-tier media", which an editor decides
Reputation Resolutions
Outreach as scoped in writing. No coverage, number of placements or date is promised
Reporting
Provider that promises coverage
Varies by provider, and wins are easier to show than misses
Reputation Resolutions
Every pitch reported, including the ones that did not land
How you pay
Provider that promises coverage
Varies by provider, commonly a monthly retainer
Reputation Resolutions
A retainer or a fixed-scope project, written down before work starts
Paid placements
Provider that promises coverage
Sometimes blended with outreach, which makes it hard to tell what was earned
Reputation Resolutions
Kept separate. A paid placement is a guaranteed featured article, labeled as sponsored
Search results
Provider that promises coverage
Often a separate service, or not addressed
Reputation Resolutions
We look at what already ranks for your name before pitching, and removal comes first where content qualifies
Bookings
Provider that promises coverage
Some providers offer broadcast, podcast or speaking bookings
Reputation Resolutions
Not part of this service
Who runs your case
Senior specialists, no junior handoffs
Reputation Resolutions is run and managed by a world-class team of online reputation management experts. Your case is handled by senior, multidisciplinary specialists: removal strategists who know each platform's rulebook, SEO and content experts who rebuild your search results, legal partners for the matters that need them, veteran PR professionals, and AI-search specialists who help you control what LLMs like ChatGPT say about you. There are no junior handoffs and no learning on your case, and every person here treats your name as if it were their own.
Get Started
Tell Us What You Want Covered
Free consultation. Outreach is scoped in writing before it starts, and no coverage is promised.
Free & Confidential Consultation
What do you need help with?
Tap everything that applies, for you or your business.
Prefer to talk? Call 855-239-5322
Media Relations FAQs
Media Relations Services, Answered Honestly.
Plain answers, including what we do not promise.
Media relations is the unpaid, earned side of public relations: identifying the editors and reporters who cover a subject, pitching them a story or offering expert commentary, and following up. Coverage runs only if an editor decides to run it. The work is scoped in writing with named deliverables, and no coverage is promised.
The unpaid, earned side. Nothing is paid to an outlet. A paid, labeled placement is a different service, a guaranteed featured article, which is paid only after publication and labeled the way the outlet labels sponsored content. We keep the two separate and never describe a paid placement as earned.
No. Editors and reporters decide what runs, so no one can honestly guarantee it. We guarantee only what we control, which is the deliverables in the written scope: the targeting, the pitches, the follow-up and the report. If someone promises you coverage, ask what exactly is guaranteed and what happens when it is missed.
That is a normal outcome. We report what happened to every pitch, not only the wins, then look at whether a different angle, subject or outlet fits better and adjust the next round. You pay for the work scoped in writing, and no coverage was promised, so none is billed as a result.
As scoped in writing: story angles and expert commentary prepared from your facts and quotes you approve, a targeted list of editors and reporters with the reason each one is on it, pitches written for the person receiving them, follow-up as the scope sets, and a report on every pitch. You approve what goes out in your name.
We build a targeted list of editors and reporters who cover your subject, with the reason each one is on it, and you keep it. If you would rather build your own, our media pitch template guide shows how.
Outreach is scoped in writing and priced as a retainer or a fixed-scope project, written down before work starts. We do not publish prices on this page, because the scope depends on your story and goals. Media outreach is not a pay-on-result service, because no coverage is promised.
No. We do not sell access and we do not promise contacts. Outreach is pitching on the merits of a story to editors and reporters who cover the subject, and any of them can ignore it. What we commit to is the work in the written scope.
Not as part of this service. We do not book broadcast, podcast or speaking appearances or submit for awards here, and we do not promise them. Those are decided by other people.
A press release is a document. Media relations is the work of putting a story in front of the people who might cover it. A newswire sends a release to feeds and partner sites that republish it automatically, which is syndication, and it is different from an editor choosing to cover you.
A guaranteed featured article is paid. It is published on an outlet named in writing, or on one of the same tier, within an agreed window, labeled as sponsored, and paid only after publication. Media relations is unpaid and earned, so publication cannot be guaranteed. Different jobs, different terms.
If you need a retained team to run a full communications program, possibly. If you need a defined outreach program, a media list or a second set of eyes on pitches, a scoped engagement can fit beside what you already have. We say which fits your goal rather than sell the larger one.
Coverage can add accurate, independent pages about you, and that can help. But no one can promise how it ranks, whether it is cited by an assistant, or what an assistant says. We scope outreach on what we can deliver, not on a search or AI outcome.
The story and the facts behind it, anything that supports them, the people who can speak to it, and their approval of any quote. You also approve what goes out in your name.
Sometimes, if it qualifies for removal under a publisher's or platform's policy or the law, and that is separate work, paid only after removal is confirmed. We do not remove legitimate news reporting. Where an accurate story stays up, the options are suppression and adding accurate context.
You can, and we would rather you know what the work involves. Our media pitch template guide shows how to write a pitch and build a list, and our guide to HARO alternatives covers where journalists look for sources. If you would rather hand it off, we scope it in writing.
We confirm our own deliverables and timeline in the written scope. We do not quote a coverage date, because editors and reporters set their own timelines and some pitches get no reply.
Call 855-239-5322 or submit the form for a free consultation. We ask what the story is and who should read it, look at what is already findable, and send a written scope before anything starts.
Still not sure if your situation qualifies?
Get a straight answer from a senior specialist in one call: free, confidential, and you'll know exactly where you stand before you decide anything.
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