In 12 years of overseeing Fractl’s digital PR team, this year, I saw an unprecedented number of brands blacklisting publishers and aggressively removing political campaign data.
A few weeks ago, I lurched forward on my couch when the Harris campaign blamed brands’ unwillingness to “take a stance” as a core part of why they failed.
“There were places that we knew we had support, that we desperately wanted to go and have conversations that we thought would be interesting and relevant and fun, and we couldn’t get there.”
– Insider Radio
Around the nation, brands silently echoed: “We won’t take a political stance, because our target market is divided.”
These situations are incredibly nuanced and important for content creators and digital PR professionals to navigate when earned media is the end game.
After The Washington Post brought the issue of political censorship front and center, I pondered:
“How can my digital PR team effectively navigate earned media for our clients without having a deep understanding of the political ties of major publications?”
Fortunately, as I began my quest to deepen our understanding of media ownership and consumer trust, I came across a plethora of datasets:
Using these robust datasets, I’ve built a resource to help digital PR teams navigate which publishers their brands or clients might align most with, or want to blacklist.
The United States Press Freedom Index, which measures the level of freedom available to journalists, has been plummeting over the last decade.
The consolidation of media ownership and the influence of corporate interests have played a role in this, with increasing concerns that news coverage is swayed by political agendas and bottom lines rather than journalistic integrity.
While studies indicate a growing conservative tilt in major economies, people worldwide have found themselves in political bubbles, solely engaging with like-minded peers and eliminating exposure to more diverse, challenging viewpoints.
However, I still see hope in the data.
While trust in news sources varies globally – influenced by political events, media literacy, and the spread of misinformation – more traditional news outlets have consistently maintained higher trust levels across numerous studies.
Yes, there will always be political editorial strongholds like BrietBart versus CNN.
However, research demonstrates that the publishers that strive for more balanced reporting generally earn greater consumer trust.
This is a global phenomenon and the first clue for how digital PR teams can navigate earned media for brands that want to take a more right, left, or central stance.