How to Create a Media List for Your Press Release
By Blastily Editorial Team, PR & Media Relations · 4 min read
A media list is simply a list of journalists, editors, producers and creators who might care about your news. Sounds easy. But most media lists fail for one reason: they're too big and too random.
The best lists are short, specific and researched. Here's how to build one.
Step 1: Define your story and audience
Before you look for a single reporter, answer:
- What's the story? (launch, hire, event, milestone)
- Who needs to hear it? (local customers, investors, an industry, a community)
- Where do those people get their news?
A Calgary restaurant opening needs food writers and neighbourhood outlets. An energy-tech funding round needs business, tech and trade reporters. Same city, totally different lists.
Step 2: Brainstorm outlets
Group them into categories:
- Local daily news: Calgary Herald, CBC Calgary, CTV News Calgary, Global News Calgary, CityNews Calgary, LiveWire Calgary
- Local magazines and lifestyle: Avenue Calgary and similar
- Business media: regional and national business desks
- Trade publications: the magazines and sites your industry reads
- Community outlets: neighbourhood newsletters, cultural and community publications
- Radio and podcasts: local talk radio, niche podcasts
- Newsletters and creators: independent newsletters and social creators in your space
Step 3: Find the right person at each outlet
Not the general inbox — the person.
- Search the outlet for stories similar to yours
- Note who wrote them
- Check their author page or social bio for their beat
- Find a public contact email
If no one has covered anything like your story, that outlet may not be a fit. Cross it off.
Step 4: Build your spreadsheet
Columns that matter:
| Name | Outlet | Beat | Recent relevant story | Notes | Last contacted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The "recent relevant story" column is your secret weapon. It's how you personalize every pitch. More on that in How to Find and Pitch Journalists for Your Press Release.
Step 5: Tier your list
- Tier 1: dream outlets that would make the biggest difference — pitch these personally and first
- Tier 2: strong fits — personalized but quicker pitches
- Tier 3: nice-to-haves — community and niche outlets
Ten to 30 well-matched contacts beats 500 random ones every time.
Paid media databases: worth it?
Tools like Cision and Muck Rack offer huge searchable databases. They save time for agencies and frequent senders, but subscriptions are often thousands of dollars a year. For most small businesses, a hand-built list is cheaper and more accurate.
Keep it fresh
Journalists change beats and outlets often. Update your list before every campaign:
- Remove people who've left
- Add new reporters you've noticed
- Note who responded and what they liked
Respect the people on your list
- Send only relevant news
- Never add journalists to marketing newsletters without consent — that's spam, and in Canada it can run into CASL
- Don't BCC your whole list on one email
Mass, irrelevant emails are one of the big reasons releases get ignored. See Why Do Most Press Releases Get Ignored?
Your list is also free distribution
A strong media list is the backbone of getting coverage without paying a newswire. We show you how to use it in How to Get a Press Release Picked Up Without Paying for Distribution. And if you're wondering when to hit send, read What's the Best Day and Time to Send a Press Release?
Quick FAQ
How big should my media list be? For most small business announcements, 10 to 30 well-matched contacts is plenty. Bigger launches might justify more, but only if every name on the list genuinely covers your topic.
No time to research reporters? Blastily builds targeted media lists and pitches them for you. Start your Blast at blastily.com.
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