Media List Database (2026), Six Questions Before You Buy
To choose a media list database, ask six questions about coverage, filters, email checks, exports, price and the trial. Good answers are below.
A media list database is a searchable collection of journalists, editors, hosts and creators that you filter and export to build a pitch list.
Facts and counts checked October 19, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.
Key takeaways
- Ask six questions of any media list database, on coverage, filters, email status, exports, price and trial.
- Run a five minute test with your real story before you pay.
- Ask whether the trial shows real emails and lets you export.
What a media list database does
It replaces the slowest part of PR, which is research. Instead of reading bylines for days, you set filters and get a list in minutes. Then you save it, export it and pitch.
That matters because journalists are strict about fit. In a 2025 survey of more than 3,000 journalists, 86 percent said they would immediately reject a pitch that did not match their beat or audience.1 A database is only useful if it helps you find the right beat, not the biggest number.
The six questions
| Question | What a good answer looks like | How to test it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Does it cover my beat and my place? | Enough contacts in your topic, state and media type | Run your real search before you pay |
| 2. Which filters can I use? | Beat, outlet, state, country, media type, title and language | Try three filters at once |
| 3. Can I see email status? | Each email shows whether it is verified, before export | Look at 20 contacts |
| 4. What can I export, and how often? | CSV with names, titles, emails and outlets, with a clear monthly allowance | Export a few and open the file |
| 5. What does it cost? | A price on the website and no long contract | Check the pricing page |
| 6. Does the trial show real data? | Real emails and real exports during the trial | Ask before you start |
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Question 1, coverage
Size is not the point. What counts is the number of contacts on your beat in your place. In the Media List database, for example, there are about 1,270 US journalists tagged with health, about 2,000 tagged with business and about 500 tagged with technology. A health brand and a software brand will see very different lists. Run your own search first.
Question 2, filters
The best filters mirror how reporters work. Beat, outlet, location and media type matter most. Media List also filters by title, country, language, industry and verified status, and it can save any search to a list.
Question 3, email status
A bounced email hurts your sender reputation. Look for a database that shows whether each email is verified before you export, and that lets you filter to verified emails. Media List shows this status on every contact and replaces any exported email that bounces at no cost.
Question 4, exports
Ask how many contacts you can export each month and what counts as an export. In Media List, each new contact you download or unlock uses one export, and contacts you already exported never count again. Basic includes 2,500 exports a month, Professional includes 10,000 and Scale includes 25,000.
Question 5, price
Prices vary a lot. Some tools hide the price behind a sales call and ask for an annual contract. Media List publishes its prices. Basic is $99 a month, Professional is $399 and Scale is $999. Plans are monthly, and you can cancel anytime from your billing page.2 Our pricing guide and best media databases comparison show how the market looks.
Question 6, the trial
Some trials turn off contact details. Ask this before you start. "Will I see real emails and can I export a few?" The Media List trial costs $0 today with a card or PayPal. For 3 days you can search everything, build lists and export up to 25 contacts.
A five minute test
- Pick the story you plan to pitch this month.
- Search with its beat, a state and a media type.
- Open ten contacts and check the titles and email status.
- Export five and open the file.
- Decide if you would pitch these people. If yes, the database fits.
What a database does not replace
A database finds the people. You still write the pitch and read the reporter's recent work before you send. See how to write a pitch that gets a reply. For the full difference between a list and a database, read the guide to media list databases.
Start the test
Run the five minute test in a 3-day trial at $0 today. Plans start at $99 a month with no annual contract.
Questions, answered
What is a media list database?
It is a searchable set of journalists, editors, hosts and creators with their outlets, beats and emails. You filter it to build a pitch list and export the result.
What should I look for in a media list database?
Look for coverage of your beat and place, strong filters, email status shown before export, clear export limits, public prices and a trial with real data.
How much does a media list database cost?
Prices range from under $100 a month to thousands of dollars a year. Media List plans are $99, $399 and $999 a month with no annual contract.
Is a bigger database always better?
No. What matters is how many good contacts it has for your beat and location. A smaller, well-matched list beats a huge, loose one.
Can I export contacts from a media list database?
Usually yes, within a monthly allowance. Media List exports a CSV with name, title, email, email status, LinkedIn, outlet, website, location, country and industry.
How do I know if the emails are good?
Look for an email status on each contact, filter to verified emails, and check how the tool handles bounces. Media List replaces exported emails that bounce at no cost.
Related guides
- Media Database (2026), What Is Inside and What It Is For
- Best media databases
- Journalist database guide
- Media database pricing guide
Sources
- State of the Media 2025 report announcement, May 7, 2025, checked 2026-10-19
- Media List pricing page, checked 2026-10-19
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