Looking after what you own: Why brand journalism strengthens owned media

IN a digital world where stories are constantly told about us, there’s something powerful about reclaiming the space to tell our own by adopting a brand journalism approach to your PR / marketing department. For businesses and organisations striving to build real connections with audiences, it’s not just about getting featured in someone else’s story. It’s about shaping your own – consistently, credibly, and with purpose.

I am a firm believer that your most valuable communications tools are the ones you already own – your website, your newsletter, your social media channels. These are your owned platforms. They deserve to be nurtured, not neglected.

And that’s where brand journalism comes in. But let me explain something first.

In communications and PR, it’s important to understand the distinction between earned media and owned platforms – because while they work together, they play very different roles in how your story is told.

Owned Platforms

These are the platforms you fully control. They are your digital home – the spaces where you decide what’s published, when, and how.

Examples include:

• Website (especially blogs, case studies, and service pages)

• Email newsletters

• Social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram etc.)

• Printed publications, reports, or leaflets you create and distribute

Why they matter:

Owned platforms allow you to speak in your own voice, without external filters. They’re also where Google looks for authority – which is why EEAT-aligned content is so important here. The stronger your owned platforms, the more credible your earned media becomes.

Earned Media

This is coverage or attention you’ve earned, rather than paid for or published yourself. It’s third-party validation – and it’s incredibly valuable when done well.

Examples include:

• News articles about your work

• Broadcast interviews

• Word-of-mouth or influencer mentions

• Shares, comments, and positive reviews online

• Backlinks from other respected websites to your own content

• Podcast coverage

Why it matters:

Earned media builds trust and legitimacy – fast. It signals to the wider world that your story is worth telling. But it’s unpredictable and often short-lived unless it’s supported by strong owned content that gives people somewhere to go for more.

I help clients build strong owned platforms which act as the foundation for everything else. That way, when you do earn media attention, through a press release, feature or campaign, you’ve got the substance in place to support it.

Your owned channels carry your message long after the headlines move on.

A brand journalism approach to owned content

Brand journalism takes the tools of the newsroom – research, interviews, fact-checking and narrative – and applies them to strategic communications. It allows organisations to tell real, relevant stories about who they are, what they do, and why it matters.

This isn’t about corporate fluff or keyword stuffing. It’s about:

• Clarity over clickbait

• People over polish

• Purpose over performance metrics

At MGMPR, we create story-led content which lives on your website, supports your newsletters, and adds weight to your social media. And we do it with the same rigour, empathy and editorial integrity we learned in real life newsrooms.

Owned platforms are your most reliable communications assets:

• Think of your website as your story home. It should be updated regularly with editorial-style content which reflects your work, people and values.

• Your newsletters offer a direct line to stakeholders. They should be more than updates – they should be conversations.

• Regard your social media not just as a broadcast tool. It’s a place to bring your stories to life, engage with real people, and reflect your voice in action.

If you’re relying entirely on external media to tell your story, you’re missing out on the consistency, control and clarity your own platforms offer.

What Google’s EEAT tells us and why it’s useful beyond SEO

Google’s EEAT guidance (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) isn’t just a technical checklist for search rankings. It’s a content framework every communicator should understand.

We use EEAT at MGMPR not to game the algorithm – but because it mirrors what good journalism has always done:

• Show your experience

• Speak with authority

• Tell stories rooted in lived reality

• Build trust by being consistent and clear

It’s a lens we apply whether we’re writing a press release, a stakeholder report, a blog or a LinkedIn post. Because ultimately, your audience, and search engines, are both looking for the same thing: credibility.

Make the most of what you already have

We work with organisations which want to strengthen their voice – not shout louder. Whether you’re a rural development body, a food producer, a tourism organisation, a community project or a public sector agency, the challenge is often the same: you have great stories. You just need the time and expertise to tell them well – without the corporate jargon which turns so many people off.

Our work includes:

• Developing content strategies based on your goals and audience

• Building website newsroom sections which house ongoing updates

• Producing SEO-EEAT compliant friendly blogs with editorial value

• Crafting authentic social content rooted in real stories

• Shaping stakeholder reports and updates into narratives which reflect impact

Everything is tailored, grounded in brand journalism and designed to help your audience see you more clearly.

Brand Journalism

MGMPR was founded with one simple belief: organisations should be able to tell their story with the same power and truth that newsrooms do. When I introduced brand journalism to Northern Ireland 13 years ago this August (2025), few were talking about storytelling in this way. Today, it remains the thread which runs through everything we do whether that’s strategy writing, writing website content, SEO-EEAT complaint content, LinkedIN posts which connect, correct and convert, awards submissions, whatever platform – telling your story which tells your why, using your tone of voice, in your way, matters.

Our work is not about pushing messages – it’s about earning trust with the very people you want to be doing business with.

You don’t need to overhaul your strategy. You need to focus on what you already own – and make it work harder, smarter and more truthfully.

We’d love to help you do that.

Let’s have a conversation about your earned platforms – and how brand journalism can help you make the most of them. You can email eleanor@mgmpr.co.uk to arrange a conversation.