A targeted, respectful approach to building and maintaining media lists.
Segment by beat and outlet
Group journalists by beat, not just by outlet. A finance reporter and a lifestyle reporter at the same outlet should not receive the same pitch.
Segmenting by beat reduces noise and improves relevance.
Prioritise opt-in relationships
When possible, build lists from opt-in contacts or relationships built through previous coverage.
Permission-based lists reduce complaints and improve long-term trust.
Refresh and prune monthly
Media lists decay quickly. Remove inactive contacts, update beats, and replace outdated outlets each month.
A smaller, accurate list outperforms a large, stale one.
Track outcomes
Record which outlets respond, which decline, and which never engage. Use this to refine the list.
Outcomes should guide future outreach, not assumptions.