Media Relations Agency

Media relations that gets your story into the titles your customers read

Updated October 2026.

Prohibition is a media relations agency in Leeds. We find the story in your business, pitch it to the right journalists and turn it into national, regional, trade and broadcast coverage that people act on. Our Mr Porky campaign earned 202 pieces of coverage, 15 on broadcast, and our always-on press office for Astonish earned 534 pieces in a year, with 420 links to its website.

Talk to us about media relations

What results does media relations deliver?

Coverage that changes something. Sealy’s expert-led press office earned 160 pieces of coverage, 20 of them national, and a 35% rise in referrals to its where-to-buy site. In 2025 its coverage more than doubled to 224 pieces and links to its site rose by 2,030%.

Read the Sealy sleep expertise case study

202pieces of coverage for Mr Porky, 15 on broadcast
534pieces of coverage in a year for Astonish
+35%referrals to Sealy’s where-to-buy site
78pieces of coverage for Stockeld Park’s Playhive launch

What is media relations?

Media relations is how an organisation works with journalists to earn coverage. It means finding stories the media wants, pitching them to the right people, offering expert comment, answering press enquiries fast and protecting your reputation when a story turns. Earned coverage builds trust, reaches people who ignore ads and creates the links and mentions that help you rank in Google and get cited by AI tools.

Why does media relations matter?

It reaches people at scale

One strong story can reach millions. Mr Porky’s pork scratchings and beer test reached a combined 45M people and named the brand 562 times.

It builds trust ads cannot buy

A journalist choosing to quote you carries more weight than anything you say about yourself. That trust carries through to sales conversations.

It drives traffic, links and search visibility

Coverage with links sends readers to your site and tells Google and AI tools you are a credible source. Astonish’s coverage sent 2,200 readers straight to its website.

Brands That Trust Us

How do we run a media relations campaign?

Media analysis

We look at how you and your competitors are covered, which titles your customers read and which journalists write about your sector.

Story and strategy

We find the angles journalists want: research, expert comment, product stories, data and stunts, planned around the news agenda and key dates.

Outreach and press office

We pitch, follow up, arrange interviews and samples, and answer media enquiries fast, so you never miss a story.

Issues and crisis support

When a story turns, we draft statements, handle journalists and protect your reputation. See our crisis management service.

Measurement and reporting

We report coverage, reach, links, key messages and the website visits and sales that follow, using the AMEC framework. See our approach to PR measurement.

Public Relations

Our media relations services include:

Why choose Prohibition for media relations?

Relationships built over years

Our founders, Chris Norton and Will Ockenden, have more than 45 years of PR experience between them, and our team pitches journalists every day across national, regional, trade and broadcast media. We are a multi-award-winning PR agency in Leeds working across consumer PR, B2B and thought leadership.

Media relations as part of an integrated campaign

Coverage works harder when it is joined up. We pair media relations with digital PR for links, social media, influencer marketing and events, so each story reaches people in more than one place.

How much does media relations cost?

Most clients run an always-on press office on a monthly retainer; launches and campaigns can be a fixed project. The cost depends on how many stories and spokespeople you need, which media you target, and whether you add research, events, influencers or social. We give you a written quote after a first call, or you can contact us now.

Talk to us about media relations

Results that families talked about

To launch Stockeld Park’s Playhive, a new indoor play centre, we handed the job of testing it to four Yorkshire children. The Play Panel turned an opening into a story families wanted to follow, with 78 pieces of coverage and a combined reach of 4.5 million before and after the doors opened.

Read the Stockeld Park Playhive case study

Talk to Prohibition about media relations

Tell us your news and who you need to reach. Prefer to talk? Call us on 0113 430 4160.


Our PR sector expertise

Our Latest Work

Paws & Co: launching Yorkshire’s only 360 pet-care hub

Sealy: from quiet retainer to category-leading press office

Yorkshire Cancer Research: turning Yorkshire Day into a world record

What’s involved in media relations?

Media Relations involves working with the media to inform the public in a positive, consistent and credible manner about the mission, policies and practices of an organisation. This typically means coordinating directly with the people in charge of producing mass media news and features. Media relations are aimed at maximising positive coverage in the mass media without directly paying for it through advertising.

The role of media relations in PR

Organisations often compile what is referred to as a media list, or a list of potential media outlets that may be interested in information about an entity. The media will consist of thousands of publications in magazines, newspapers, television and radio stations. Therefore, when a “newsworthy” event takes place in an organisation, a media list can help to determine which media outlet may be most interested in a particular story.

Working with the media (on behalf of a company) helps create brand awareness, as well as interacting with a targeted audience. This enables both large and small target audiences to be reached and helps build public support and improve an organisation’s public opinion. All this is achieved through a wide variety of media and can be used to facilitate two-way communication.

What is the difference between media relations and PR?

The difference between public relations and media relations can be confusing. Even PR professionals sometimes see them as synonyms. As more channels of communication develop, the lines between the two are more blurred than ever and the terms are used interchangeably. However, there are specific characteristics that separate PR and media relations.

Media relations work directly with the press to share key messages with stakeholders and customers. Public relations usually uses multiple channels and works to share key messages with the public/consumers.

When might an organisation reach out to the media?

  • Launch of a new product/service
  • Initiation of new factories/offices
  • Financial results
  • Organisation sponsored events or awards
  • Launch of organisation promotional campaigns
  • Recent disasters, strikes or organisational closures
  • Awards/accolades for the company
  • Visits from company dignitaries/celebrities
  • Involvement in local/community activities
  • Community engagement
  • To be positioned as a thought leader

Is media training only for TV interviews?

No. Media training can help with TV interviews, radio interviews, print interviews, podcast interviews, phone interviews, online media interviews and live Q&A situations.

The core skills are message clarity, confidence, structure and the ability to answer questions effectively.