What are the new approaches to public relations? The main modern approach is integrated PR: planning paid, earned, shared and owned media as one program. Gini Dietrich named the PESO model in her 2014 book Spin Sucks, and it has since been widely adopted across the marketing communications industry. PESO does not replace media relations. It places media relations beside advertising, social media and owned content, with one goal and one set of measures.
Originally published March 2016. Updated October 2026.
What is the PESO model?
The PESO model is a framework that classifies communication into four media types: paid, earned, shared and owned. Dietrich presented it in 2014 as an expansion of an older three-part model that covered paid, earned and owned media, according to a marketing dictionary entry on the PEO and PESO models. The shared category was added to cover content that people create and pass along on social platforms.
| Media type | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Paid | Content distributed through third-party channels for a fee | Advertising, sponsored content, email marketing |
| Earned | Content published by a third party without payment | News coverage, reviews, word of mouth |
| Shared | Content that spreads through social platforms and communities | Social posts, comments, user reviews |
| Owned | Content and channels the organization controls | Website, blog, newsletter, podcast, video |
The definitions follow the Wikipedia summary of the PESO model and the Spin Sucks site. The model was updated in March 2020 to place email between paid and owned media, per a Brandpoint guide to the model.
Why does the order of the letters matter?
The order matters because PESO is a label and not a ranking. Dietrich has said that in terms of importance the order would be owned, earned, shared and paid, which she called OESP, though she noted it is harder to remember than PESO. Her reasoning is that owned content is the base that the other three depend on.
That reading changes how a team spends its first month. Before pitching reporters or buying ads, it should have a website and content that state who the organization is and what it can prove. Reporters, searchers and AI assistants check those pages first, and a weak base wastes the earned and paid work that points to it.
How does earned media work inside an integrated program?
Earned media is the part of the program that needs third parties to say yes, so it carries the most credibility and the least control. A reporter writes about the organization because the story is useful to readers, and no payment is involved. The tools are pitches, releases, interviews and expert commentary.
In an integrated program, earned coverage is also raw material for the other three types. A published article can be quoted on the website, shared on social platforms and promoted with a paid placement. The media relations guide and the press release guide cover the mechanics of winning the coverage.
How does owned media work inside an integrated program?
Owned media is the content and channels the organization controls, and it is the part of the program that the organization can fully fix. It includes the website, the newsroom page, the newsletter, the blog, executive bylines on the company site and video. Owned pages carry the facts that reporters and customers check.
Write owned content to answer the questions buyers and reporters ask. State the facts plainly, name sources and keep pages current. The guide to digital PR explains how owned pages and earned links support each other.
How does shared media work inside an integrated program?
Shared media is the conversation on social platforms, forums and review sites, and the organization influences it without controlling it. The work is to publish content worth passing on, respond quickly to questions and complaints, and let customers and creators speak. A reply written well can reach more people than the original post.
Shared media also carries risk, because a bad exchange spreads as fast as a good one. The social media PR playbook covers response workflows, and the influencer marketing guide covers working with creators, where disclosure rules apply.
How does paid media work inside an integrated program?
Paid media buys reach and speed, and in a PR program it usually amplifies something earned or owned. A company can pay to promote a feature article, sponsor a research report or target a launch announcement to a specific audience. Paid media gives control over timing and audience, which earned coverage cannot.
The rule is to label it honestly. Paid content that looks like news without disclosure damages trust, and the PR ethics guide explains the codes that apply.
Where do the four media types overlap?
The four types overlap wherever one piece of content moves between them. A news article is earned when a reporter writes it, owned when the company republishes it with permission, shared when a customer posts it and paid when the company promotes it. The same asset can be four different things, and each use has different rules.
A 2016 article in Public Relations Review by Macnamara, Lwin, Adi and Zerfass, titled "'PESO' media strategy shifts to 'SOEP': Opportunities and ethical dilemmas," discussed this blurring and the ethical questions it raises. The practical point is to know which category a piece of content is in when you publish it, so you can disclose correctly.
How does PESO differ from traditional PR and marketing?
PESO differs from traditional PR and marketing by treating the four media types as one system. Traditionally, publicity sat with public relations and advertising sat with marketing. A Human Kinetics excerpt describing Dietrich's book says it combines publicity and advertising with "two new kids in town," shared and owned media.
The practical change is organizational. A team that runs the types separately can send conflicting messages and compete for budget. A team that plans them together can agree on one message, one calendar and one set of results.
How do you build an integrated plan?
Build an integrated plan by setting one goal and then assigning each media type a role in reaching it. The table shows a hypothetical product launch, offered as an illustration and not a case study.
| Media type | Role in the launch | Example task |
|---|---|---|
| Owned | State the facts and proof | Launch page, data sheet, founder essay |
| Earned | Win independent confirmation | Pitch to trade reporters, embargoed briefings |
| Shared | Spark and answer conversation | Creator previews, live Q&A, comment replies |
| Paid | Reach the target audience quickly | Promote the best earned article to named buyers |
- Write one measurable goal, such as qualified demo requests in a quarter.
- Build the owned base first and check that every claim has a source.
- Pitch earned coverage with a specific angle for each reporter.
- Prepare shared-media replies and name the people who approve them.
- Use paid media last, to amplify what is already working.
The PR plan guide explains how to set the goal and schedule the work.
What should a small team do in its first 90 days?
A small team should spend the first 30 days on owned media, the next 30 on earned media and the last 30 on shared and paid amplification. In the first month, fix the website, write the proof points and set up tracked links. In the second, pitch a short list of reporters with specific angles. In the third, answer conversation on the platforms your audience uses and promote the best result. Review the numbers at day 90 and decide what to repeat. This schedule is a recommended routine and not a measured benchmark.
How do you measure an integrated program?
Measure an integrated program by the outcome it was built to reach, and report each media type's contribution against it. Earned coverage can be coded for message pull-through, owned pages measured by visits and conversions, shared media by response time and sentiment, and paid media by cost per qualified action. Avoid advertising value equivalents, which the Barcelona Principles reject.
The PR ROI guide sets out the measurement framework, including how to attribute results to coverage and how to record a baseline.
What are the risks of integrated PR?
The risks are blurred disclosure, platform dependence and spread-thin effort. When paid and earned content look alike, audiences cannot tell what was bought, and regulators and trade bodies expect clear labels. A program that relies on one social platform can lose its audience when the platform changes. And a small team that tries to run all four types at once usually does each one poorly.
The fix is to start with owned and earned media, add shared media where your audience already gathers and use paid media only to amplify proven content. Review the mix each quarter against the goal.
How do AI assistants change integrated PR?
AI assistants summarize what owned and earned sources say, so those two types affect what buyers are told. A company with accurate owned pages and credible earned coverage gives an assistant good material, and one with neither gives it little. This is a reasoned effect, and no source reviewed for this page measures how much AI answers rely on each media type.
The check is to ask the major assistants about your brand each quarter and note the sources they cite. The generative engine optimization page explains the method. For the history of how PR reached this point, read the evolution of public relations, and for the specialties inside a program see the guide to the types of PR.
Frequently asked questions
What does PESO stand for in PR?
PESO stands for paid, earned, shared and owned media. Gini Dietrich introduced the term in her 2014 book Spin Sucks.
What is the difference between earned and owned media?
Earned media is content a third party publishes about you without payment, such as a news article. Owned media is content you publish on channels you control, such as your website.
Is shared media the same as social media?
Mostly. Shared media is the content that spreads on social platforms and communities, and it includes organic posts, comments and user reviews, not only the company's own accounts.
Which media type should a new company start with?
Start with owned media, because it is the base the other types rely on, then add earned media. Use paid media to amplify what already works.
Does integrated PR replace media relations?
No. Media relations is the earned part of the model, and it remains the main way to win independent coverage.
Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications. He is the publisher of Everything-PR and the author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release.