Media Database Research
MediaList's research desk maintains an ongoing analysis of 41,373 verified media contacts across 3,984 news outlets — measuring who is actually reachable in the media landscape and how contact data quality varies. This page indexes every study; each links its full write-up. Journalists and publications are welcome to cite these findings with attribution to MediaList (medialist.com/research).
The Studies
| Study | Headline finding |
|---|---|
| The One-Person Newsroom Is the Norm | 46% of news outlets have exactly one reachable journalist |
| 1% of Outlets Employ 36.7% of Journalists | journalist concentration in the largest newsrooms |
| Bigger Newsroom, Worse Contact Data | contact data quality falls as newsroom size grows |
| One in Three Contacts Can't Be Verified | deliverability verification across media contacts |
| Who Is Actually in a Media Database? | role composition: 31.8% editors, 31.5% reporters, 23.5% producers |
| 73% of Records Include a Phone Number | phone numbers exist — almost nobody uses them |
Key Numbers at a Glance
- 41,373 verified media contacts across 3,984 outlets; 41,372 with email addresses.
- 46% of news outlets have exactly one reachable journalist; 1% of outlets employ 36.7% of journalists.
- Role composition: editors 12,521 · producers 9,262 · reporters 8,835 · writers 3,926 · anchors 1,839 · correspondents 1,708.
- One in three media contacts industry-wide cannot be verified as deliverable; 73% of journalist records include a phone number.
Related Resources
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