You don't always pay for these articles. Lots of the time press outlets are looking for stories, and PR firms know this. They send a few emails, maybe even give

You don't always pay for these articles. Lots of the time press outlets are looking for stories, and PR firms know this. They send a few emails, maybe even give "press releases" that are super close to being an already finished article. The press outlets are cool with this because it helps them get more stories and thus more advertising dollars.