Any public relations (PR) professional will tell you that the lines between pay-to-play (P2P) media, or pay-to-participate (as we refer to it at Technica) and earned media are increasingly blurred in the modern media landscape. It can be traced back to May 9, 1993, when The Mercury News in San Jose, Calif., assumed that making its entire catalogue free online wouldn’t have lasting consequences for the news industry. Looking back over three decades, we can see how wrong it was.
“The decision established a lasting expectation that online news should be free," wrote reporter Pete Croatto of Poynter. "The internet grew and grew into a daily fixture of unfathomable, unpredictable influence that to this day challenges the industry’s ability to build sustainable models for reader revenue. It is a crisis without end."
This crisis of a viable business model is now compounded by how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing, or rerouting, expected web traffic. Mainstays like The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Business Insider have lost roughly half their referral traffic in three years. When your model depends on audience size, this is an existential threat.
Editors and producers are seeking to own their reader and viewer relationships directly and sell access to those eyeballs to companies looking for exposure.
For businesses looking to access these increasingly curated audience relationships, the standard pay-to-play business model is getting a facelift. Strategies aim to offer more targeted and results-oriented opportunities for the market.
This AI-driven “post search” landscape is a challenge and an opportunity for emerging startups. While earned media remains the north star for expanding a startup’s credibility and recognition, pay-to-participate offers quick and dependable visibility.
Although, without a cohesive PR strategy and earned media covering 80% of placements to instill credibility markers, these investments can feel hollow. The key to maximizing media investments and establishing a well-known brand is an integrated approach, where P2P complements PR.
Pay-to-Play Needs PR Strategy to Work
While pay-to-play guarantees placement, it does not guarantee credibility, engagement or long-term impact. This is where traditional PR plays an indispensable role.
Paid placements, if not aligned with brand messaging and PR strategy, can feel disconnected from a broader media presence. Without a consistent narrative, audiences may view these efforts as forced. PR professionals ensure that their clients’ paid content fits into their broader media strategy, reinforcing brand values, positioning and key messaging. Their goal is to ensure that pay-to-play placements feel organic, authentic and credible, rather than merely transactional.
In addition to the danger of inconsistent messaging, a company that only appears in paid content may struggle to earn audience trust. Industry leaders, investors and customers still value a non-biased, third-party validation, so earned media placements remain vital. Companies can legitimize their brand presence by participating in selective pay-to-play opportunities as a small piece of their overall PR program.
Another limitation of relying on pay-to-play is that it does not foster long-term media relationships. Traditional PR involves working closely with journalists to become a trusted subject matter expert who can provide commentary, leading to recurring media opportunities that do not require payment. While pay-to-play offers instant exposure, it lacks the depth and sustainability that PR fosters. The right approach combines paid visibility with relationship-driven media engagement, ensuring that a company stays top of mind in conversations even when not paying for coverage.
Vetting Pay to Participate Offers
While P2P media is expected to play a role in the “new normal” of the media landscape, the real differentiator is knowing how to execute it effectively. Many assume any sponsored opportunity is valuable, but without strategy, investments often underperform.
Some areas to consider:
- Audience fit: Confirm the outlet or influencer can reach the right stakeholders.
- Editorial rank: Each publication holds a different level of respect and credibility within your sector; the price for access mirrors this credibility curve.
- Content permanence: Look for agreements that allow articles to remain permanently searchable. If it’s removed after a short window, other agreement aspects should make up for this.
- Engagement metrics: Offers should openly provide as much performance data as possible.
There’s no single “magic number” for a P2P media budget. The right investment depends on your goals, the market and your available resources. An assessment can include:
Paid media type: Sponsored content, advertorials, newsletters, podcasts, YouTube ads and influencer partnerships have different costs and audience reach.
Historical data and past performance: Genuine offers for audience engagement should showcase a pride in results. Connect with the outlet’s referrals, or contact a current sponsor directly.
Timeline and campaign duration: A short, intensive campaign often requires higher upfront costs than a six-month series of placements, even though one could provide more content than the other.
Blending Paid and Earned for Credibility: A well-positioned sponsored article can establish your executives as thought leaders, making it easier for PR teams to pitch them as sources. The most effective programs see P2P as a complement that accelerates awareness and builds trust.
The Future of Hybrid Media
Strategic integration of earned and paid opportunities is essential for building a credible media presence. The goal is to find media partners with a strong audience reach at competitive rates.
In today’s dynamic media environment, companies have both a strategic and ethical incentive to support the outlets shaping industry narratives. Paid-to-participate (P2P) is here to stay, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Blending traditional PR with P2P visibility fosters lasting connections, industry authority, and sustainable brand growth.
Media visibility always carries a cost—whether through sponsored space or the resources needed to secure earned coverage. As companies grow, so does the responsibility to support the outlets that helped build their reputation.
The smartest brands treat P2P as a complement to earned media, using it to strengthen relationships, reinforce credibility, and invest in the health of the news ecosystem for the long term.
Lisa Ann Pinkerton is CEO and Founder of Technica Communications.