Build a media list by beat rather than size

A media list is an editorial map, not a distribution target. The useful question is not how many contacts it contains but why each person might consider this particular story. A reporter covering employment policy and a reporter covering local employers may work for the same publication while needing very different information.

Begin with articles, not addresses

Search for coverage of the problem, sector or place involved in your announcement. Read several pieces by each possible contact. Note the subjects they return to, the scale of organisation they cover and the kinds of evidence they use. A name attached to one old article is not enough to establish a current beat.

For a hypothetical independent bookshop opening a repair workshop for damaged books, relevant coverage might sit under local business, crafts or publishing. Each route requires a different angle. A national retail correspondent is not automatically a better contact than a local culture reporter who regularly covers neighbourhood projects. Match the story before comparing audience size.

Record the reason for inclusion

Keep the list lean: publication, journalist, current subject area, a relevant article, publicly provided contact route and a short note explaining the match. Add when you last checked the entry. That note should help another colleague understand the connection without relying on your memory. Avoid collecting personal details that do not serve the outreach.

Distinguish staff journalists, freelance writers, editors and programme producers. Their commissioning responsibilities and working arrangements may differ. Use the contact preferences they publish, and do not assume that a personal social account is an invitation to receive a pitch. When the publication gives a dedicated route for story submissions, start there unless you have an established relevant contact.

Before sending, remove people who have changed roles or whose recent work no longer fits. Split the list by angle rather than sending identical copy to everyone. Keep a simple record of responses and explicit preferences so that one colleague does not repeat another's unwanted approach.

The list should shrink as well as grow. A careful exclusion is a useful outcome: it prevents an irrelevant message and reveals where your story needs a better audience. Review the map around actual announcements rather than maintaining a huge contact database with no defined purpose.