"One of the advantages of the new fragmented media landscape, particularly online, is you can get very rich, specific sites that are enormously passionate," said Tony Fox executive VP of corporate communications for MTV Networks Entertainment Group, in a Center for Communication panel of TV PR executives. "If you can marshall a crowd like that, you can drive your ratings."

John Murphy of Murphy PR said in a similar vein that consideration has to be paid to the pass-along effect of certain media. He gives the example that "The View" might not have the ratings of "Good Morning America," but the female-driven talk show gets a lot of pick-up online and a placement there could resonate more, even though the shows ratings aren't on par with GMA.

"In the old days you had a film premiere or a television premiere, you sent out the tape and you kind of got reactions from everybody before they wrote their reviews," said Murphy. "So you could get a sense of whether 'this would sink or fly.' Now it happens almost instantly.