Updated for 2027 (UK): Media monitoring means keeping track of everything published about your name, your company or your market: news articles, blogs, review sites, social posts, podcasts, Google results and now AI answers from tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity. Done well, it tells you three things early: what people are saying, where they are saying it, and whether anything needs action before it spreads. This guide explains how media monitoring works, what to track, which free and paid options exist, and what to do when monitoring finds something harmful.
What media monitoring covers in 2027
In the past, “press cuttings” meant newspapers and magazines. Today the places that shape your reputation are much wider:
- News and magazine sites: national, regional and trade titles, including their online editions.
- Search results: what appears on page one of Google and Bing when someone types your name or your company name.
- Review platforms: Google reviews, Trustpilot, Glassdoor and industry review sites.
- Social media and forums: LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Reddit, YouTube and specialist forums.
- Podcasts and video: mentions in episodes, descriptions and transcripts.
- AI answers: how ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google’s AI Overviews and Perplexity describe you when someone asks about you or your sector.
The last point is new. Many buyers now ask an AI assistant “who is the best PR agency in the UK” or “is this company trustworthy” before they ever visit a website. If you are not monitoring those answers, you are missing part of the picture.
Why media monitoring matters
1. You see problems while they are small
A single negative article, a fake review or a hostile Reddit thread is far easier to deal with in its first days than after it has been copied, quoted and ranked on page one of Google.
2. You can prove what your PR is achieving
Monitoring shows which articles went live, where your name appeared, how often you were mentioned compared with competitors, and whether AI tools started citing you. That turns PR from a feeling into a report.
3. You find opportunities
Journalists’ questions, industry debates and competitor news all create openings for comment, expert quotes and features.
4. You protect people, not only brands
Founders, directors and public figures are often searched more than their companies. Monitoring a personal name is just as important as monitoring a company name.
What to monitor: a simple checklist
- Your company name, including common misspellings.
- The names of your founders, directors and spokespeople.
- Your product and brand names.
- Your main competitors.
- Two or three phrases that describe your market, for example “PR agency UK” or “review removal”.
- A fixed list of questions that buyers might ask an AI assistant about you and your sector.
Free ways to start monitoring today
- Google Alerts: free email alerts when Google finds new pages that mention your chosen words.
- Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools: show which searches bring people to your website, and Bing now reports how often its AI answers cite your pages.
- A monthly search check: search your name and company name in a private browser window on Google and Bing, and note everything on page one.
- Review platform alerts: Google Business Profile, Trustpilot and Glassdoor all notify you of new reviews.
- A monthly AI check: ask ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity the same set of questions each month and record whether you are mentioned and how you are described.
Paid media monitoring tools
Larger organisations usually add a paid platform. These tools track thousands of news sites, broadcast, podcasts and social channels in one dashboard, send real-time alerts and produce share-of-voice reports. When choosing one, check:
- which UK national, regional and trade titles it actually covers;
- whether it includes social media, review sites and podcasts, or news only;
- how quickly alerts arrive;
- whether it can report on AI search visibility;
- whether the reports are clear enough to show a board.
What to do when monitoring finds something harmful
Monitoring is only useful if you act on what it finds. When a harmful item appears:
- Do not reply in anger. A public argument often pushes the item higher in Google.
- Save evidence. Take screenshots with dates and keep the links.
- Check the facts. Is it false, outdated, defamatory, a fake review or a breach of the platform’s rules?
- Choose the right route: a correction request to the publisher, a platform policy report, a legal request, a search engine removal request, or positive coverage that pushes it off page one.
United Press handles every one of these routes. We remove negative press and fake articles, negative and fake reviews and harmful links and search results. Every review, and every Facebook, Reddit or LinkedIn post we accept, is removed within 96 hours, 100% guaranteed, or 100% refund.
Monitoring and PR work best together
Monitoring tells you what the internet says about you. PR changes it. The strongest results come from doing both: monitoring to spot gaps and risks, and guaranteed press coverage to make sure the first things people, and AI tools, find about you are accurate and positive. United Press, trusted since 2001, was the first PR agency in the UK to guarantee publication, with every publication and date agreed in writing.
Media monitoring: questions we are asked
What is media monitoring in simple words?
It is keeping watch on what is published about you or your company in the news, on review sites, on social media, in search results and in AI answers, so you can respond quickly.
Is Google Alerts enough?
It is a good free start, but it misses many social posts, reviews, podcasts and AI answers. Add a monthly manual search, review alerts and a monthly AI check.
How often should I check?
Alerts should run every day. A full review of search results, reviews and AI answers once a month is enough for most businesses, and weekly during a crisis.
Can I monitor what ChatGPT says about my company?
Yes. Keep a fixed list of questions, ask them in each AI assistant every month and record whether you are mentioned, which sources are cited and how you are described.
What should I do if monitoring finds a fake review or a false article?
Save the evidence, do not argue publicly, and use the right removal route. United Press removes fake reviews, negative press and harmful links in the UK and worldwide.