Media Database (2026), What Is Inside and What It Is For

A media database is a searchable set of records for journalists, podcast hosts, YouTube creators, newsletter writers and bloggers.

People use it to find who to pitch, then export the contacts into a list.

Facts and counts checked October 19, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.

Key takeaways

• A media database holds journalists, podcast hosts, YouTube creators, newsletter writers and bloggers.
• Most of the Media List database is creators, which mirrors where audiences go.
• US newsroom contacts split mostly across TV and radio, newspapers and online news.

What is inside a media database

The Media List database is a good example of the range. It holds 38,000+ journalists, editors and producers, with 27,000+ in the United States. It also holds 1.2 million podcasts, 189,000+ YouTube channels and more than 28,000 newsletters and more than 28,000 blogs.

Notice the shape. Podcasts are the largest group by far, and newsroom contacts are a small share of the total. That mirrors where audiences are going. About one in five US adults (21 percent) say they regularly get news from news influencers, and the share is 37 percent among adults aged 18 to 29.¹ Monthly podcast listening reached 55 percent of Americans aged 12 and older in 2025.²

The five record types

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US newsroom contacts by media type

Here is how US journalists, editors and producers in the Media List database split by the type of outlet. These counts cover contacts with an email on file that is not marked undeliverable and not opted out, and they were checked on October 19, 2026. Some emails are not yet verified, and the status shows on each contact.

TV and radio hold the most contacts because stations have many producers, anchors and editors. Newspapers have the second most.³

The most common US beats

Each journalist can carry one or more topic tags. These are the largest tags among US contacts.

If your topic is small, such as science or fashion, use fewer filters so you do not search into zero.

Creators by size, country and topic

Creator records add audience size. Among YouTube channels in the database, 95,119 have 10,000 or more subscribers, 48,147 have 100,000 or more, and 11,532 have 1 million or more. Podcasts and channels also split by country.³

Topics differ by format. Among US creators, business is the top tag for YouTube channels (12,727) and the second for podcasts (6,510), after religion (7,175). Health tags 2,812 US podcasts. A creator can carry more than one tag, so do not add the counts together.

Why local news matters to a database

Local coverage is shrinking. Medill's 2025 report counted 213 news desert counties and 1,524 counties with only one news source. It said about 50 million Americans have limited or no access to local news.⁴ If your story is local, a good database gives you radio hosts, TV producers and local creators, since newspapers alone may not reach your town.

What to do with a media database

1. Write down your story and your audience.
2. Filter by beat, media type and place.
3. Check the email status on each contact.
4. Save the matches to a list and export them.
5. Pitch Tier A first. Follow up once.

For help picking a tool, use the six question checklist or read the broader guide to media contact databases. For journalists only, see the journalist database page.

Search the database yourself

Start a 3-day trial at $0 today with a card or PayPal. You can search every record type, build lists and export up to 25 contacts. Plans start at $99 a month, and there is no annual contract.

Media database software and tools, what the category covers

Media database software is the searchable product that sits on top of records like the ones above. The category covers four jobs, which are finding the right people, holding your own lists, sending or exporting to your own tool, and reporting on what came back. Most products do two or three of those well and charge for the rest.

When you compare tools, compare the jobs you actually do. If you pitch from your own inbox, sending features are not worth paying for. If you report to clients, the reporting side matters more than the raw record count. Either way, the six evaluation criteria are set out in how to evaluate a media database, and what each Media List plan includes is in media database cost.

The tool matters less than the routine around it. A maintained list in a spreadsheet beats an unused seat in expensive software, which is what media list management works through.

Media list software, tools and platforms

The phrases media list software, media list tool and media list platform all describe the same category, which is a searchable database with list building on top. Judge one on four jobs. Finding the right people, holding your own lists, getting the contacts out to wherever you send from, and reporting on what came back. Most products are strong at two of those and charge for the rest, so the right question is which two you actually need. The six criteria are in how to evaluate a media database, and the routine that matters more than the tool is in media list management.

Questions, answered

What is a media database?

It is a searchable collection of records for journalists, editors, hosts, creators and the outlets they work for. Users filter it to build pitch lists and export contacts.

What is in a media database?

Names, titles, outlets, beats, locations, emails, social links and, for creators, audience size. Larger ones also include podcasts, YouTube channels, newsletters and blogs.

What is the difference between a media database and a media list?

A media database is the full collection you search. A media list is the short selection you pull from it for one story.

How many journalists are in the Media List database?

38,000+ journalists, editors and producers, including 27,000+ in the United States.

Does a media database include podcasts and YouTubers?

Some do. Media List includes 1.2 million podcasts and 189,000+ YouTube channels alongside journalists.

Do I need a media database if I only pitch a few times a year?

Not always. For a few pitches, hand research may be enough. If you pitch every month or for several clients, a database saves hours.

Related guides

• Media List Database (2026), Six Questions Before You Buy
• Journalist database guide
• Media contact databases
• Media List USA (2026), Journalists by State and Beat

Sources

1. Pew Research Center, America's News Influencers (November 18, 2024), checked 2026-10-19
2. Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2025 (released March 20, 2025), checked 2026-10-19
3. Media List browse pages, counts checked October 19, 2026, checked 2026-10-19
4. Medill Local News Initiative, State of Local News 2025 (October 20, 2025), checked 2026-10-19