To the broader question... Any public affairs professional with a sizable budget knows that there is "earned media" and "paid media". To the lay person, just think of the (old) Automotive, Style and Travel sections of newspapers as the havens of paid media. Otherwise, you're on your own to sort out the remaining pages.

I have a friend who once got close to the Today Show and was shocked - shocked - at how much paid media was involved. And that was before NBC News added the later hours to the show.