5 key media coverage metrics to watch in 2025

Why traditional media still matters – and how to measure its impact 

As the media landscape continues to evolve, it's tempting to focus solely on digital and social media analytics. But traditional media — from radio interviews to newspaper features — continues to play a powerful role in shaping public understanding and trust, particularly in sectors such as health, science, environment and government. 

For communications professionals and media managers, measuring the impact of earned media coverage remains essential. Here are five key traditional media metrics to keep your eye on in 2025 — and why they matter. 

1. Media mentions and prominence 

Counting how often your organisation, campaign or spokesperson is mentioned in traditional media — whether in print, radio or TV — remains a useful starting point. But in 2025, quantity alone doesn’t tell the whole story. 

What matters just as much is how prominent those mentions are. Are you the focus of the story, or just a passing reference? Are your spokespeople quoted directly and accurately?  

Prominence measures the visibility and centrality of your role within a media item — whether you're featured in the headline, introduced early in a radio segment, or buried in the final paragraph. High prominence tends to correlate with greater audience recall, trust and influence. 

By tracking both volume and prominence, you can better assess whether your media coverage is simply present — or truly making an impact. 

2. Key message penetration  

This is where strategy meets storytelling. It’s not enough to be mentioned—your core messages need to come through clearly. Are journalists using your language — or reframing your message in ways that help or hinder your goals? 

Tracking key message penetration (either manually or via AI-assisted tools) helps you understand what’s cutting through and what’s not. If you’re investing time in media releases, interviews or briefings, this metric tells you whether your messages are landing as intended. 

3. Geographic and demographic spread  

Where your coverage appears — and who it reaches — can tell you a lot about your impact. Are you reaching regional communities or just the metro centres? Are you connecting with older audiences via talkback radio, or younger audiences via television news bulletins? 

As traditional media continues to fragment, tracking coverage across regions and demographics can help ensure you’re not just getting coverage — but getting it where it counts. 

A two-minute segment on ABC’s 7.30 may reach hundreds of thousands, but if your goal is to connect with stone fruit growers in the Riverland or seed buyers in Gippsland, a thoughtful feature in a local rural weekly could be far more valuable. 

4. Sentiment analysis 

Understanding not just how much coverage you receive, but how you are portrayed, is critical. Sentiment analysis evaluates whether media mentions are favourable, neutral or critical. In 2025, media monitoring tools have become more sophisticated; they allow for both article-level and entity-level sentiment, enabling organisations to pinpoint public perception around specific people, brands, or issues within a single piece of coverage. This deeper insight helps track reputation trends and the reception of key messages — so make sure your reporting goes beyond the numbers to capture nuance. 

 5. Spokesperson presence and quotation quality

Was your CEO quoted? Did your researcher appear on air? Measuring who speaks, how often, and how well is essential for tracking the effectiveness of your media training and messaging. 

In 2025, media coverage is increasingly crowded with expert voices. Being included is good. Being heard and remembered is better. Reviewing quote length, placement (lead quote vs end note), and clarity can provide valuable insights. 

Why it matters  

In a fast-moving digital world, traditional media can sometimes be overlooked. But for many organisations — particularly those in agriculture, science, education or health — TV, radio and print remain trusted, high-value channels. 

Measuring earned media impact in 2025 requires more than just counting clips. It’s about understanding how your story is being told, who’s hearing it, and what they take away. 

Need help making sense of your media coverage?  

At Coretext, we work with clients to develop targeted media strategies, track meaningful metrics and turn earned media into lasting value. Get in touch to find out how we can support your media communications in 2025 and beyond.