Building an Effective Media List

By Ana Cahuas

You have a new product, service, or announcement you want to get covered by the media. Who do you pitch, and how do you organize your outreach? A well-crafted media list is the holy grail for successful media relations. 

At Double Forte, we focus on quality over quantity. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches daily, so sending targeted and relevant pitches is essential for building long-lasting relationships with reporters. A carefully curated list of 50 highly relevant contacts is far more valuable than a sprawling database of 1,000 loosely related or out-of-date names.

The backbone of a strong media list spreadsheet includes:

• A separate tab for each outreach campaign
• Contact details:
  • Outlet
  • Name
  • Title
  • Beat/area of focus
  • Email
• Recent relevant coverage
• Notes on past interactions
• Date contacted
• Response

Now that you understand the detailed information you’ll need to include, here’s how to build a kickass media list:

As you begin, think with the end in mind. Who is your target reader, and what media do they consume? What kind of story are you aiming for? A product roundup? A feature story? This will guide you in selecting the most appropriate media contacts.

• Research recent articles: Filter your search by “news” results and adjust the time frame in Google searches, typically limiting to the past year for the most up-to-date results. Use various keywords to find previously written stories and drop these writers and article links into your media list. For example, if you’re planning an upcoming event, search “things to do” or in your area. The results will show you who’s covering local events. 
• Target specific outlets: Are you after local or national outlets (or both)? Lifestyle or business publications? Create a wishlist of media outlets you’d like to pitch. Then search within each outlet’s website for past relevant coverage. You’ll get a sense of what types of stories each outlet covers. Save relevant contacts and article links to your media list. You can also reference an outlet’s editorial staff page or “masthead” to find writers within a specific beat or assignment. 
• Vet each contact: Muck Rack is a great resource for finding a journalist’s recent coverage and contact information. Double-check that they’re still covering relevant topics. And if you’re sending product samples, make sure they live within shipping range. If you’re shipping alcohol, make sure you can ship to their location. 
• Tend to your media list: Your media list should be a growing, dynamic resource. Regularly update contact information, remove outdated contacts, and add new ones as you discover them. 

Now you’re ready to pitch! Of course, your pitches should be personalized and tailored to each contact. Once you begin, track the date of your outreach and any responses you receive in your media list. If you need to send a round of follow-ups, we recommend no more than one brief follow-up note, sent at least a week after the initial pitch. 

If you need assistance with your media relations, drop us a line!