How to Develop a Media List
To contact reporters you need a current media list. Figuring out which reporters who want to contact depends on your specific program or announcement. Here are some tips for where to look and what to look for:
At television stations:
- News directors - especially to invite to VIP events
- Assignment editors - if you don't know who to contact, this should be your first choice
- Morning and/or noon producers - these are the people who book guests and determine if the station will cover your story or interview during the daytime newscasts
- Meteorologists - sometimes they announce events before or after their weather segment (more often when their station is a sponsor)
- Public service announcement (PSA) directors - these people are usually the community relations directors as well; they typically develop the schedule for airing PSAs
- Specific reporters and photojournalists
- Anchors - also should be invited to VIP events
- Online content editors - another resource for you is to have your information posted on the station's Web site
At radio stations:
- News directors
- Specific reporters - usually only available or necessary on stations that are formatted for news
- Talk show producers and/or hosts
At magazines:
- Editors
- Photo editors
- Calendar editors/reporters
- Community editors/reporters
- Specific reporters that cover your non-profit's area
At daily newspapers:
- Section editors - i.e., science/technology, metro, business, lifestyle, etc.
- Community/non-profit editors/reporters
- Photo editors
- Editorial editors/writers - for those times you have a specific issue to address
- Specific lifestyle and metro reporters
- Calendar editors/reporters
- Humorists/columnists
- Society columnists - especially when planning a fund-raiser or VIP event
- Education editors/reporters - especially if you are developing programming designed to educate K-12
- Online content editors
At weekly newspapers:
- Editors - most weekly newspapers are small publications with very small staffs; sending information to the editor of these types of publications should be sufficient
The media list should include the names of the specific media outlet (e.g. Science and Technology Today), the name of the appropriate reporters and editors, title/position, address, phone number, fax number, direct email address, website address, deadline (last date the media outlet can receive the information for their story), publication or airing date and time, notes/flags (e.g. “does not like to receive news releases by email,” “best time to call is in the morning,” “this reporter could not attend but asked to be sent future announcements,” etc.), and advertising rates (determine your publicity value; these can be obtained by contacting the display advertising sales departments at each media outlet.)
Don't forget editors of professional and technical societies' and employers' newsletters.