PR & Communications
Press releases that actually get printed
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PR & Communications
Building your own media list
Bought distribution lists produce nothing. Thirty names you researched yourself produce coverage, and the research takes an afternoon.
Key points
- Thirty relevant named journalists beat three thousand generic addresses.
- Record what each one covers and what they have written, not just an address.
- Maintain it quarterly; media staff turnover is high.
A press list is not a list of publications. It is a list of people, with a record of what each of them writes about.
How to build one
- List the publications that reach your audience. Regional press, trade titles, relevant sections of national media, local radio, relevant online publications, sector newsletters.
- For each, find who covers your subject. Read recent articles and note the bylines.
- Find their contact details. Usually on the publication's site, in the byline, or on professional networks.
- Record what they actually write about, with two or three example headlines and dates.
- Note their deadline pattern where you can establish it.
That process for thirty contacts takes an afternoon and produces something no purchased list can match.
A journalist receiving a release relevant to what they wrote last month reads it. The same journalist on a bought list receiving something irrelevant marks the sender as spam permanently.
What the record should contain
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Name and publication | obvious |
| Beat, specifically | relevance |
| Two recent articles | proof of relevance, opener for contact |
| Email and telephone | contact |
| Preferred contact method, if known | courtesy |
| Deadline day | timing |
| What you have sent them and when | prevents over-contacting |
| Whether they used it | tells you who to prioritise |
The last two rows turn a list into a relationship record, which is what actually produces coverage over time.
Segment it
Do not send everything to everybody. A regional consumer story and a technical trade story go to different subsets.
Three or four segments are usually enough: regional general, trade and technical, sector-specific online, and broadcast.
Maintain it
Media staff turnover is high. A list unmaintained for two years is largely wrong, and sending to a departed journalist's address is worse than not sending.
Quarterly, spend thirty minutes: check bylines are still appearing, update anyone who has moved, and add anyone new covering your subject.
The relationship part
The list's value grows when the contacts know who you are. That comes from a small number of behaviours, repeated.
Send only what is relevant to that person. Respond immediately when they contact you, including outside working hours if they are on deadline. Offer comment on stories that are not about you, which is how most useful media relationships actually begin. And never complain about coverage you did not like.
The data protection note
Journalists' professional contact details processed for the purpose of contacting them professionally generally rest on legitimate interest. They must still be told on first contact who you are, and their objection must be honoured permanently.
Frequently asked questions
Are distribution services worth it?
For wide low-value distribution occasionally. For genuine coverage, a researched list of named people is far more effective.
How many contacts do you need?
For a regional business, 20 to 40. For a national B2B story, 30 to 60 including trade press.
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