Political Terminology: "Earned Media" vs. "Paid Media"

Brett Hulsey KKK stunt goes viral. (Capital Times, 5/1/2014)

Oftentimes there is merit ascribed to the verb "earn".  Not here.  “Earned media” is the expression political professionals use to describe the media coverage a candidate receives; it is distinguished from “paid media,” such as TV ads. 

Here's another Wisconsin example of "earned media".



Rivard went on to lose his 2012 re-election contest by 615 votes, out of a total of 28,334 cast.

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Somebody's internal warning system has completely broken down. (5/2/2014)