Building Media Lists (2026), a Weekly Habit That Works
Building media lists works best as a 30 minute weekly habit, because people change jobs and outlets shrink, and an old list goes stale within months.
Spend the time and your list stays ready for any story.
Facts and counts checked October 19, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.
Key takeaways
- Spend 30 minutes a week on your list and it stays ready for any story.
- Reporter jobs are projected to fall 6 percent between 2025 and 2035, so lists go stale fast.
- Clean monthly and review each tier every quarter.
Why lists need constant care
The newsroom workforce is shrinking. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 47,100 reporters, correspondents and broadcast news analysts in 2025 and projects a 6 percent drop by 2035.1 Medill's 2025 report found newspaper jobs fell 7 percent in one year, and by more than three quarters since 2005.2
Every layoff, move and new beat changes the people on your list. A contact who covered your topic last spring may cover something else now.
Fit still matters most. A 2026 survey of nearly 900 journalists found that 88 percent delete pitches that miss their beat.3 A fresh list is how you stay on the right side of that number.
The routine at a glance
| How often | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 30 minutes | Add 5 to 10 new names and read the latest story from three Tier A contacts |
| After every send | 10 minutes | Update status, mark bounces and set follow-up dates |
| Monthly | 45 minutes | Clean the list and re-check the oldest names |
| Quarterly | 2 hours | Review each tier and each beat, and retire dead weight |
The times are our suggestions. Use them as a starting point.
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Weekly, grow the list a little
- When you read a story on your topic, add the reporter to the sheet.
- When you see a podcast or channel that fits, add the host.
- Write a note on each new name, such as the story that made you add them.
Small steps keep the list from becoming a big project later.
After every send, log what happened
Update the Pitch status and the date. If an email bounced, move the contact to a do-not-contact tab. If someone replied, write what they said. A line such as "prefers a short pitch with data" is worth gold next time.
Monthly, clean the list
- Sort by last contact date and open the author page for the oldest Tier A names.
- Remove anyone who left the outlet or changed beats.
- Remove duplicates by email.
- Honor opt-outs. The Federal Trade Commission says you must act on an opt-out within 10 business days.4
Quarterly, review the whole list
- Is each tier the right size?
- Are there beats with too few names? Add more.
- Are there people you have pitched five times with no reply? Move them down a tier.
- Do you have enough creators? Add podcasts and channels where your audience listens.
Use a database to do the heavy lifting
A database turns "find 30 new names" into a search. In Media List, filter by beat, outlet, state and media type, check each email's status and export. The database holds 38,000+ journalists, editors and producers, plus 189,000+ YouTube channels and 1.2 million podcasts. Contacts you already exported never count against your allowance again, so re-running a search to find new names costs only the new ones.
Build a list for each story, not one giant list
Keep a master list of everyone, then pull a short list for each campaign by beat and place. Our guides on how to create a media list and the PR media list template show the layout.
Habits that pay off
- Read before you pitch. Open two recent stories by the person.
- Keep notes in one place.
- Write the follow-up date before you send the first email.
- Never email people who opted out.
When you are ready to write, read how to follow up without burning the contact.
Try the habit with real contacts
Start a 3-day trial at $0 today with a card or PayPal. You can search the database and export up to 25 contacts. Plans start at $99 a month.
Questions, answered
How do you build a media list?
Pick one story, find the outlets and people who cover it, record them in a sheet, sort into tiers, check emails and set follow-up dates. Then keep it fresh each week.
How often should I update my media list?
Update status after every send, clean the list monthly and review each tier every quarter.
Why do media lists go out of date?
Journalists change jobs and beats, and newsrooms shrink. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects reporter jobs to fall 6 percent between 2025 and 2035.
How many names should I add each week?
Five to ten well-matched names is enough to keep a list growing without turning it into a project.
Should I keep one list or many?
Keep one master list, then pull a short list for each story from it.
What is the fastest way to find new contacts?
Search a database by beat, outlet, state and media type, then check the email status before export.
Related guides
- How to Create a Media List (2026), Seven Steps in Two Hours
- PR Media List Template (2026), a Campaign Tracker
- Media Contact List (2026), What Goes In and How to Update It
- How to follow up without burning the contact
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Reporters, Correspondents, and Broadcast News Analysts, checked 2026-10-19
- Medill Local News Initiative, State of Local News 2025 (October 20, 2025), checked 2026-10-19
- State of Journalism 2026 survey summary, checked 2026-10-19
- Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide for business, checked 2026-10-19
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