Free resource
Media list template
A blank media list template with 14 columns, a pitch log and a short how to use tab. Download it for Excel, Google Sheets or print, with no account and no card.
The files hold no media contacts and no licensed contact data. You fill the sheet in with the people you find.
What is inside
Media list tab. Fourteen columns, one row per person, with drop-down lists for media type, email status, tier and pitch status, a filter row and one example row you can delete.
Pitch log tab. Date sent, person, outlet, what you sent, reply, next step and the date of the next step, so nobody gets pitched twice.
How to use this tab. Six short steps, what the tiers mean, and how long it takes to keep a list current.
The 14 columns
Fill the beat column first. In the 2025 State of the Media survey of more than 3,000 journalists, 86 percent said they immediately reject a pitch that does not fit their beat or audience, so beat decides more than anything else on the sheet.
| Column | What goes in it | Why you need it |
|---|---|---|
| First name | The person's first name | Lets you write a real greeting |
| Last name | Their last name | Lets you sort and remove duplicates |
| Title | Reporter, editor, producer, host, or writer | Shows how much say they have over a story |
| Outlet | The newspaper, station, site, show, or channel | Tells you where coverage would appear |
| Media type | TV, radio, newspaper, online, magazine, podcast, or video | Helps you pick the right format for each pitch |
| Beat | The topic they cover, such as health or small business | The most important column, because off-beat pitches get deleted |
| Location | City and state | Helps with local angles |
| Their work email | How you reach them | |
| Email status | Verified, not verified yet, or bounced | Keeps your sender reputation clean |
| LinkedIn or social link | A link to their profile | Lets you check what they posted lately |
| Recent story | A link to something they wrote in the last 90 days | Gives you a true first line for your pitch |
| Tier | A, B, or C | A is your dream list. C is a wide net |
| Pitch status | Not contacted, pitched, replied, covered, or no thanks | Shows where every person stands |
| Next follow-up date | A date | Keeps you from forgetting people |
How to use it in Google Sheets
The workbook was built in the Excel format because Google Sheets imports it without losing the drop-down lists or the filter row.
- Download the Excel workbook above.
- Open Google Sheets and start a blank spreadsheet.
- Open the File menu, choose Import, then Upload, and pick the file you downloaded.
- Choose Replace spreadsheet, then Import data.
- Delete the example row on the Media list tab and start adding your own people.
How to fill it in
1. Start with the story
Write one sentence about what is new, for whom, and why now. Every name you add has to pass that sentence.
2. Work by beat
Find the people who already cover the topic, then record the beat in their own words from a recent story.
3. Tier before you send
Sort by tier, send to the A rows first, and log every send on the pitch log tab the same day.
Keeping it current
People change jobs and outlets shrink, so a list goes stale within months. Thirty minutes a week is enough to keep one ready for any story, and that is the routine the weekly habit guide below lays out.
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Guides that go with it
Skip the research
Media List is a searchable database of journalists, editors, producers, podcast hosts, YouTube creators, newsletter writers and bloggers. Filter by beat, outlet type and location, then export straight into this template. Plans start at $99 a month and begin with a 3 day trial.
See plans