2026
Trusted Media Whitepaper

You're More Trusted Than the Media. Most Institutions Don't Know It.

Download The Whitepaper

What Earned Trust Looks Like in Practice

One of our faculty partners, a mathematics and data science professor with deep expertise in AI's impact on society, had been trying to break into national coverage largely on his own. Once we built a real strategy around him, sharpened messaging, targeted journalist outreach, a co-developed op-ed, and media coaching, the results moved fast: bylines in WIRED and TIME, a real jump in institutional visibility, and a book deal that came directly out of the exposure.

That's not a lucky break. That's what earned reputation looks like when someone's actually running it.

Reputation By The Numbers

Trust isn't earned by the loudest institution. It's earned by the one that shows up where people already believe what they read.

Download the whitepaper to discover:

  • Brand Reputation
    53% of prospective students now start their college search with a brand name already in mind, up from just 13% a decade ago.
  • Sourced
    Over 7 in 10 say seeing an institution mentioned in a trusted news outlet directly improves how they see it.
  • Trust
    77% trust universities more than journalists or podcasters on research news, climbing to 85% among graduate prospects.

Not All Coverage is Equal

Getting covered isn't the same as getting trusted. Where your name shows up matters as much as whether it shows up at all. Most institutions are chasing mentions when they should be chasing the outlets their prospects already believe. The Trusted Media Report shows you exactly which ones those are.


Download the Whitepaper