17 Best Media Monitoring Tools in 2023 | State of Digital Publishing

Media monitoring is a vital part of any digital publisher’s path to success. It is necessary to hear stories as they happen, track the competition and remain alert to any oncoming crises — and the best media monitoring software automates all of this. While the practice of media monitoring has existed for more than a century, the introduction of internet news and online social networks has seen the practice undergo radical new shifts in innovation. This is where media monitoring tools enter, leveraging AI technology to gain insight into trends and public opinion across billions of discussions on a daily basis. These tools are also becoming ever more popular, with the expected global market share to more than triple from $3.96 billion in 2022 to $11.54 billion by 2029. As digital media sees its popularity increase over traditional media, media monitoring software options have also climbed. But with so many choices out there, how do publishers ensure they choose the best one for their company? To help alleviate decision paralysis, we’ve drawn together a list of the 17 best media monitoring tools. Why Is Media Monitoring Important? Media monitoring allows publishers to identify upcoming trends, compare their content to their competitors and alert them to any emerging crises. In the information age, being the first to act can secure more viewers as well as help head off potential reputational harm. Media monitoring has a rich history. Emerging in the industrial era as print became more accessible to the general public, artists would monitor the press for mentions. Since then, media monitoring has continued to be a valuable resource for organizations looking to review their image and see how they stack up against their competitors. Gone are the days of copying, cutting and pasting print articles, with software having now taken over. The process has become automated and streamlined to suit a far more competitive and timely industry. The continuing media evolution has made software tools essential for news and brand publishers alike. For example, the standardization of the 24-hour news cycle meant that news outlets looking to update around the clock needed information around the clock. Likewise, the radical shift in the general public’s power to damage brand reputation has necessitated greater media monitoring. Social media spaces have created opportunities for the public to directly communicate with organizations — but that doesn’t mean all interactions are positive. The 2012 #McDStories are a prime example of this. Media monitoring tools play an important role in mitigating the effects of public relations (PR) disasters. They allow publishers and marketers to rapidly react to crisis situations by keeping them informed in an ever-changing environment. 3 Types of Media Monitoring Tools While each media monitoring tool overlaps with one another in terms of capabilities, there are some broad differences in terms of functionality. The software tends to lean towards one of three categories: Public relations News gathering General trend analysis PR Tools One of the consequences of the invention of social media, online forums and the 24-hour news cycle, is that news now spreads incredibly quickly. Company crises now spread like wildfire. PR media monitoring can provide a heads up to oncoming disasters, with the tools generally focusing on online social spaces. They come equipped with the ability to measure sentiment, that is the negative or positive emotions attached to messages. News Gathering Tools News-gathering tools are generally focused on detecting emerging news trends or events as quickly as possible. They generally monitor for keywords, or a general area, and alert a publisher or content creator to any potential trends. Some even go a step further, such as Help A Reporter Out platform, which connects journalists to useful sources for their articles. General Trend Analysis The more general media monitoring tools are usually the cheapest or sometimes just outright free. They generally have limited capabilities, have less automation and tend not to fill any niches. Take, for example, Google Trends and Google Alerts. These tools are simple to use, free and proficient at what they do. However, they don’t provide sentiment analysis. 17 Best Media Monitoring Tools 1. Trend Hunter The first item on our list, and one of the more standout media monitoring tools on the market, is the software Trend Hunter. Used by publishers and organizations such as the Chicago Tribune, National Geographic and VISA, Trend Hunter is notable for its large datasets and innovative media coverage. Trend Hunter highlights current media trends in the form of articles posted to its dashboard. The articles can be sorted by topics or by more focused keywords. Each article on current trends provides analytics on the trend's performance — a score from 1 to 10 based on how effective it is. The articles also provide demographic data on their targeted audience, including age and location. The software generates trend reports automatically by using an AI, which sorts the trend into 18 different megatrends and highlights its pattern amongst other trends. While the platform is useful for generating ideas, it is less useful for managing brand image and alerting publishers to an oncoming PR crisis. Trend Hunter Features AI generates articles and reports for publishers Demographic data packaged with trends Pros Great for brand publishers looking to find stories Overarching sense of causality with megatrends Cons Not a resource for PR management Not as useful for news publishers 2. NewzDash NewzDash generates instant SEO recommendations for publishers and is particularly powerful for publishers working in the news sector. Corporations and publications such as the Fox News Channel, NPR and Forbes use the software. Publishers can use NewzDash to stay ahead of the curve. The software generates on-demand keyword rankings and lists the top news stories sorted by topic or locality. The tool also monitors trends on a publisher's site and can provide insight into any particular missed opportunities or gaps in a publisher’s trends. NewzDash has a modular pricing structure, which means there isn’t a set price and publishers pay based on how many features they want to include. Publishers can opt-in to NewzDash’s 14-day free trial to fully explore the software’s features before purchasing it. NewzDash Features Generates instant SEO recommendations Monitors local trends and top news stories Pros On-demand keyword rankings for SEO practices Great for publishers to spot missed opportunities 14-day free trial Cons Not as useful for brand publishers Less advanced tools for generating reports 3. NewsDashboard NewsDashboard is a media monitoring service that uses keyword queries to help publishers find relevant topics or breaking news. The software is used by companies such as the Washington Post, CNN and the ABC. Every 15 minutes, NewsDashboard sends out a query to determine the ranking of keywords for a topic or location. The software looks for changes within the keyword ranking and then informs publishers of any significant changes. NewsDashboard also contains metrics that publishers can use to analyze the performance of their content on Google News and compare their visibility with their competition. The software also determines whether a publisher has any gaps within topics. NewsDashboard doesn’t advertise its pricing options but does provide a seven-day demonstration, allowing publishers to go hands-on with the software. NewsDashboard Features Send keyword queries every 15 minutes to determine rankings Metrics for analyzing Google News performance Pros Great competitor analysis for publishers working in the news sector Seven-day free platform demo Cons Less focus on brand publishing No automatic report generation tools 4. Google Trends Google Trends represents a powerful option for publishers that requires no upfront costs. Google Trends is entirely free and is relatively simple for publishers to use. While it may be lacking some depth compared with other software options — missing in-built automation capabilities — it remains a capable tool. Google Trends allows users to search for any individual key term and analyze its interest over time. When searching for a keyword, Google Trends also displays keywords related to the original search term and displays the keyword's growth in interest. Google Trends has its limitations compared to paid software. For example, publishers cannot use the software to compare their amount of visibility with their competition and the lack of automation means they have to put more effort into monitoring key terms. However, the simplicity of this free software makes it a good option for small to medium-size publications. Google Trends Features Search and gauge interest for individual keywords on demand Provides relevant keywords and break-out terms Pros Entirely free to use Completely accessible for beginners Cons Less advanced analytics for news publishers The alerts system is less dynamic than other software 5. Meltwater Meltwater has been providing online media monitoring services since 2001. It can be applied in a variety of different sectors including news and social media, and their partnerships reflect this variety, with News Corp, Qantas and Afterpay all using the software. Meltwater measures publishers against their competitors and then compares customer sentiment. Publishers can use this tool to determine where conversations about their brands are taking place, which can help determine which spaces to invest in. Meltwater can also determine emerging trends using a keyword search, with the results providing metrics such as the total number of searches, daily searches, related search terms and user sentiment. Meltwater doesn’t have set pricing, offering bespoke price packages based on publishers’ needs. There’s also no free trial, but it does provide an active demonstration. Meltwater Features Determine user sentiment and who is talking about the brand Keyword search to determine emerging trends Pros Broad nature of the program means it is great for both news and PR Great analytics for customers and competitors Cons No free trial 6. Isentia Rather than focus on key terms, media monitoring company Isentia instead provides a birds-eye view of media coverage. This software is particularly good for the news and social media sector, with the New Zealand government, Sunway and Tenaga Nasional adopting the software. Isentia distills all recent media coverage into a centralized feed. Publishers are fed a snapshot of emerging topics, and quickly gauge public and media reactions. The coverage can be sorted into topics and can be broken down into locations. As a step further, Isentia also provides additional media monitoring solutions with its edited daily brief that media monitoring experts tailor to summarize the coverage of a publisher's topic of choice. Isentia doesn’t have a set standard price, with publishers paying based on the number of features they want. Isentia Features Coverage of media presented in a feed Daily edited briefs Pros Particularly good software for the news sector Pricing scheme has room for customization Cons Less immediate service for essential PR risk mitigation 7. Prowly Prowly is a social media monitoring software focused on PR and customer relationships, but can be useful for publishers of branded content. Organizations such as Universal Music Group, ASUS and LG use the platform. Prowly’s media monitoring AI is able to find keywords on social media and media coverage and detect sentiment within the writing. Publishers can tailor their notifications to highlight negative public sentiment in order to coordinate an effective response. Other functions available on the platform include the ability to design and create press releases and the ability to set up a dedicated newsroom. Prowly also connects users to its media database and to its many journalists. Prowly includes two different price points: its essential bundle for $418 per month which includes the ability to send, schedule and analyze 3,000 emails for two users, and its professional bundle for $568 per month with 15,000 emails and five users. If publishers opt to pay on an annual basis, then they can save up to 30%. The company also offers a seven-day free trial. Prowly Features Find keywords on social media and online news Design and create press releases Pros Connects brand publishers to pitch to journalists Efficient generation press releases Seven-day free demo Cons Not as much focus on news and story creation compared to other tools 8. Muck Rack Muck Rack is another PR tool packaged with a media monitoring tool, which is useful for maintaining brand image and for monitoring the press landscape. The software is used by organizations such as A&E, Comcast and Pfizer. Publishers using Muck Rack to monitor media can assign a keyword to receive alerts whenever that topic is mentioned. The software then generates a coverage report with analytics about that chosen keyword. Muck Rack also includes a media database to build connections with other members of the media. Their database allows for publishers to pitch stories to journalists and track their progress on projects. In that sense, it has some unique functions for project management. Muck Rack Features Receive alerts around chosen keyword Generates a coverage report with analytics Pros Connecting with journalists through Muck Rack’s media database Progress tracking software is useful for brand publishers Cons Not a strong focus on news gathering 9. Brand24 Brand24 is a media monitoring software focused on mining customer insights from online social discussions and maintaining a healthy brand presence. The software is used by organizations such as Samsung, Intel and Stanford University. Brand24 employs an AI algorithm that crawls through social media platforms to find mentions of a keyword. That same AI then measures the sentiment of the mention to determine whether it is positive, negative or neutral. The platform then generates a word cloud of the mentions so that publishers can quickly and easily determine how their brands are being talked about. The software can also track mentions through hashtags. Brand 24 has four price points, with the difference being the number of keywords and mentions monitored. Some key features, such as PDF reports, are only available for the Pro version for $199 per month. To summarize: $79 per month for three keywords and 2,000 mentions $149 for seven keywords and 7,000 mentions $199 for 12 keywords and 25,000 mentions $399 for 25 keywords and 100,000 mentions Brand24 Features AI algorithm finds mentions in online spaces Measure sentiment in customer mentions Pros Automatic word cloud generation useful for building associations around keywords Hashtag monitoring is another useful trend finder Cons Some essential features, such as generating PDF reports, are locked behind high tiers 10. HARO HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is a media monitoring and source-connecting tool that is well-suited for individual journalists or smaller publications, though its resources can be scaled up to larger corporations. The software is used by publishers such as Fox News, The New York Times and TIME magazine. Journalists use the service to submit a source query, and other journalists or media entities share potential sources for their potential stories. The platform also sends pitches on behalf of publishers to journalists. Alongside the information-sourcing feature, HARO includes some of the staples of a media monitoring tool, including tracking media opportunities using keywords. HARO has a basic free tier, offering media monitoring opportunities. Above that are three price points for keyword tracking: $19 per month for one keyword, $49 per month for three keywords and $149 per month for unlimited tracking. HARO Features Submit queries to find potential sources on stories Send individual pitches to journalists Pros The software’s connectivity is a great way for publishers and journalists to find credible sources A much cheaper option for individual journalists Cons Lacking in more advanced analytics and monitoring tools 11. Brandwatch Brandwatch is another PR tool dedicated to maintaining brand image and prying out customer insights. The software is used by organizations such as GSK, Toyota and Unilever. Brandwatch includes a search feature that publishers can use to plug in and search through millions of online discussions. Relevant search topics appear alongside the keyword when searched, further breaking down how the keyword is being used. Iris, the Brandwatch AI, then automatically segments the brand discussions across several categories, allowing publishers to instantly visualize the different ways their product or content is being discussed. The Iris AI is also capable of measuring trends and the usage of keywords over time. One more interesting feature is the AI’s image analysis which can detect logos and objects within an image. Brandwatch doesn’t offer set prices, preferring those interested in its services to book a meeting to discuss their needs. The software could also benefit from updating its software to include platforms such as TikTok. Brandwatch Features Keyword search bar function Measure historical keyword usage and trends Pros Automatic segmentation into topic categories Image analysis capabilities are useful for publishers and marketers to see how their brand is being used in alternative formats Cons Could use more integrations into emerging social media such as TikTok. 12. Mention Mention combines the functions of several media monitoring tools into one platform to sustain both media sourcing and PR features. Prisma Media, Microsoft and Deliveroo use the social media monitoring tool. Mention has two key functions: monitoring and listening. On monitoring, Mention employs a bot to crawl through various web sources, such as blogs, review pages and news sites, to identify mentions of a keyword. Mention can individually review all instances of a mention, or can aggregate information into a set of key metrics. The listening feature functions similarly to the monitoring feature but instead crawls through online discussions to highlight how the keyword is being used in social media channels. As with other media monitoring tools, Mention can detect sentiment in mentions. There are three set prices for Mention as well as a custom Enterprise subscription. The Solo tier costs $41 per month and allows 5,000 mentions; Pro is $83 per month for 10,000 mentions and ProPlus is $149 per month for 20,000 mentions. Mention Features Monitor online sources using bots Aggregate information into key metrics Pros Fairly cheap overall price for service Good balance of PR and news gathering tools Cons Software can’t monitor non-text sources such as broadcasts 13. CISION CISION is a diverse media monitoring software that’s useful to the publishing industry thanks to the wide range of media it monitors. Some organizations that use CISION include LinkedIn, 3M and PBS. CISION uses an intuitive search feature to find keywords across sources and to find connected journalists to pitch to. The software also builds interactive reports to detect trends and also stacks publishers’ performance against their competitors. Unlike others on this list, CISION can track keywords across paywalled content as well as digital print media. The software can also find mentions in broadcast media. It also employs a speech-to-text AI to find mentions in podcasts and other forms of audio-based media. However, the software does have its limitations, particularly in its media and journalist database. CISION does not cover every media outlet and not every journalist is available to find. The softwares analytics could also be more in-depth. Cision Features Intuitive keyword search Monitor paywalled content Pros Compare performance against competitors with interactive reports Can monitor alternative formats such as broadcast and podcast content Cons Limitations in media coverage and analytics 14. Agility PR Solutions Agility PR Solutions is a flexible media monitoring tool that can be employed to monitor a variety of different media types. Some prominent organizations that use this software include the University of Glasgow, Pandora and McDonald's. A major draw to using Agility PR Solutions is the number of different types of media that the software can monitor. The software can track keywords across online media, print, blogs, press releases, broadcasts and internet forums. The keywords can also be compared side by side to judge the coverage over a period of time. The software is proficient at generating a snapshot of a keyword and sharing performance across teams and shareholders. It can craft dynamic reports by inserting real-time data into chart templates. Agility PR Solutions can also alert publishers to any oncoming crises by sending notifications if there are any unexpected trends in a keyword’s performance. While the company offers four annual planes — Media Database & Outreach, Media Monitoring, Enterprise Services and Social Listening — the company does provide set pricing. Interested parties need to contact the company itself. Agility PR Solutions Features Alert publishers to a potential crisis. Generate dynamic reports through templates Pros Compare keyword’s historical trends Can monitor many different forms of media Cons Somewhat lacking in news gathering tools compared to other software 15. Talkwalker Talkwalker is a social intelligence platform and a media monitoring tool that is particularly proficient at monitoring social media spaces. More than 600,000 users, including Golin, Daiko and Orange, use the software. Talkwalker has many features to help users maintain their brand image on social media. The software imports data in real-time, and can detect historical trends from up to five years previous. Its AI analysis capabilities can identify user sentiment in several different types of media formats, including images, videos and traditional online discourse. The software also has tools to mitigate brand crises and share social behavior among teams. Talkwalker sends alerts to publishers whenever it detects unusual behavior in a chosen keyword. Talkwalker also automates generating reports and sends them to key members of a team. The software’s dashboard can also be customized to show the most important information first. However, its design can be unintuitive and can be a barrier to entry for new users. The company has three plans aimed at small to medium businesses (SMBs) and another four for enterprise clients. However, interested parties need to contact the company to discuss exact pricing. Talkwalker Features Report on up to five-year-old historical trends Alerts users upon unusual behavior Pros Can identify sentiment in multiple media formats More efficient PR work flows with automatic reports and customized dashboards Cons Suffers from an unintuitive design 16. Dataminr Dataminr is a real-time media monitoring tool that is well-suited for the public and news sectors thanks to the event-finding capabilities of its machine-learning AI. Publishers such as Aljazeera, Deutsche Welle and the Daily Mail use the software. To ensure that Dataminr stays ahead of the competition, the software analyzes more than 500,000 public sources and reports back to publishers information about their chosen keyword or location. The sources can include text, images, sound and videos. An interesting feature that journalists and publishers can take advantage of is Dataminr’s geo-visualiser. As events unfold, publishers can use the geo-visualiser to see events happening nearby for a bird’s-eye approach to breaking events. Events continuously update as situations change and evolve. The software comes with a suite of visual collaborative tools to ensure that entire news teams can adapt and work on breaking stories in a cohesive and efficient manner. However, high-event locations — such as disaster zones — can generate a lot of noise and make information harder to dissect. UI changes that filter results or minimize the sizes of events could be useful to make data more accessible. Dataminr doesn’t display its prices or plans, preferring publishers contact it directly to arrange a demo. Dataminr Features Analyze more than 500,000 public sources Collaborative tools for news team workflows Pros Continuously updates in real-time Geo-visualiser is a innovative way to see the effects of events at a broader local scale Cons High-event locations generate lots of noise 17. Sprinklr Sprinklr has invested heavily in its advanced AI technologies to boost the predictive analysis capabilities of its media monitoring tool. Some notable organizations that employ the Sprinklr software are Cisco, Verizon and Marriott International. Sprinklr features help publishers identify critical market trends before they are picked up by other media outlets. Sprinkl’s AI is capable of monitoring online discussions and media coverage in real-time, as well as gathering historical trends for the past five years. The AI also provides more actionable customer insights by aggregating sentiment in online discourse and distilling it into more digestible forms of data. The interplay of these systems allows for an early detection system for any major event, breaking news or crisis. If the AI detects any unusual trends, it can instantly notify key team members. At times, the software can experience periods of lag and occasional bugginess. Sprinklr is another platform that doesn’t display its prices or plans, preferring to arrange a demo. It does offer a free trial, however. Sprinklr Features Advanced AI capable of predicting future trends from past data Monitors keywords in traditional and emerging media Pros Aggregates large data sets into actionable reports Strong notifications to alert teams to emergencies Cons Software can be buggy at times How to Choose the Best Media Monitoring Tool There are many factors to weigh up when dividing which monitoring tool is the best fit for your organization. Here are a few to consider: What Formats It Monitors For some sectors of publishing, some functions of media monitoring tools are absolute musts. For example, a publisher working within the broadcast sector must ensure that their media monitoring tool monitors formats standard in the industry — audio and visual. Some social media monitoring tools also specialize only in those platforms but don’t monitor paywalled content, digital newspapers or other forms of media. For some publishers monitoring online social spaces, this may be okay, but others may need to monitor both traditional media and social platforms. Scale The more money a publisher is able to invest into a media monitoring tool increases the amount of monitoring they are able to accomplish. However, publishers should consider whether this is necessary before deciding. If a publication is on the smaller side, focusing on a single niche, then perhaps a single keyword alert will be enough for them. For enterprises, options for unlimited keywords will prove necessary. Its Featureset Media monitoring tools have features that cater to select needs. For monitoring tools related to public relations, features that alert quickly and generate efficiently automated reports are useful for quick action against crises. For media monitoring tools that focus on news, any features that contribute to sourcing stories, such as gathering snapshots of media and identifying related keywords, are a boon. Free Trials and Demonstrations The best way publishers can determine whether or not a media monitoring software will benefit their organization is to try it out for themselves. Luckily, many of the listed options have some sort of free trial or demonstration attached to them. However, publishers shouldn’t stop at just one, as it’s important to compare the features of several before deciding. Final Thoughts Media monitoring tools are an essential part of a publisher’s editorial strategy. They play two key roles: generating inspiration and information sources for content and mitigating risk to brand image. However, their use isn’t limited to digital publishing, or even marketing more broadly. Organizations working within the public sector regularly find some use for media monitoring tools, whether it be gathering insight into the general public opinion over legislation or quickly and accurately identifying damage in case of a disaster or crisis. Publishers can use these tools to strategize and plan for their content. Content strategy is a broad segment, however, and there are other tools that could be more useful on this front. For tools that can help publishers organize their content, check out our article on the 13 Best Editorial Calendar Software. FAQs What Is Media Monitoring and Analysis? Media monitoring and analysis is the process of tracking and analyzing trends in print, social, broadcast and other types of media. Media monitoring in digital software automates many of these processes and can alert its users to breakout stories, news trends and other emerging topics in media. How Can I Track Media Mentions? Media monitoring software with a keyword tracking feature can be used to track media mentions. This keyword could be a topic, brand or locale. Different software may have different steps to input a keyword, while others such as Google Alerts have its keyword input on the main page. The software then notifies the user of any mention. How Do I Monitor Media Coverage? Monitoring media coverage can either be done manually by sifting through various different news sites to build a report or doing it automatically using media monitoring software. Media monitoring software aggregates data from inputted keywords and generates a holistic report of the media coverage.