Research 10 min read

Building a Media List: Find Journalists for Your Startup

A targeted media list is the foundation of successful PR. Learn how to identify, research, and organize the journalists who are most likely to cover your startup.

Last updated: January 2025 Includes 1 template

Why Targeting Matters

The spray-and-pray approach to PR doesn't work. Sending your pitch to 500 random journalists wastes time and damages your reputation.

Here's why targeting matters:

  • Response rates: A personalized pitch to 20 well-researched journalists outperforms a generic blast to 200
  • Reputation: Journalists remember founders who waste their time with irrelevant pitches
  • Relationships: Quality targeting is the first step to building lasting journalist relationships
  • Efficiency: Less time sending, more time on quality research and personalization

"I can tell within 5 seconds if a pitch was sent to me specifically or mass-blasted. The mass ones get deleted immediately."

— Tech journalist

Types of Media Targets

Organize your targets by tier based on reach and prestige:

Tier 1: Major Tech Publications

  • TechCrunch, The Verge, Wired, Ars Technica
  • Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider
  • NYT Technology, WSJ Tech

Reality check: Tier 1 outlets receive hundreds of pitches daily. You need a genuinely newsworthy story and ideally a relationship with the journalist.

Tier 2: Industry-Specific Publications

  • Trade publications for your industry
  • Vertical-specific tech blogs
  • B2B publications (if relevant)

Sweet spot for startups: These outlets have smaller teams but dedicated audiences. Often more receptive to startup stories.

Tier 3: Local and Regional Media

  • Local business journals
  • Regional newspapers
  • City-specific tech blogs

Don't overlook these: Local coverage is easier to get and can be surprisingly valuable for recruiting and local partnerships.

Tier 4: Newsletters, Podcasts, and Influencers

  • Industry newsletters with engaged audiences
  • Relevant podcasts looking for guests
  • YouTube creators and LinkedIn influencers

Growing in importance: Some newsletters have more engaged readers than major publications.

Researching Publications

Identifying Relevant Outlets

Start by listing publications where you'd want to see coverage. Ask yourself:

  • Where do your target customers get their news?
  • What do your competitors get covered in?
  • What publications have covered similar startups?

Understanding Editorial Focus

Before pitching any publication, understand:

  • What topics they cover (and don't cover)
  • What stage of companies they write about
  • Their tone and angle preferences
  • How often they publish

Reading Recent Coverage

Spend 30 minutes reading recent articles. Note:

  • Story angles that get published
  • How they structure articles
  • What makes their headlines
  • Which journalists cover which topics

Finding the Right Journalists

Byline Research

The byline (author name) is your starting point. For any publication you're targeting:

  1. Search the site for articles about companies like yours
  2. Note the journalists who wrote them
  3. Read their last 5-10 articles to understand their beat
  4. Check if they're still at that publication

Beat Identification

Journalists have beats—specific topics they cover. Common tech beats:

  • Enterprise software / SaaS
  • Consumer tech
  • Fintech
  • AI / Machine learning
  • Crypto / Web3
  • E-commerce
  • Venture capital / Funding

Pitch journalists whose beat matches your startup. A fintech journalist won't cover your HR software.

Social Media Research

Most tech journalists are active on X (Twitter). Their profiles reveal:

  • Topics they're currently interested in
  • Stories they're working on
  • How they prefer to be pitched
  • Their personality and communication style

Free Research Methods

Google News Search

The most powerful free tool. Search techniques:

  • site:techcrunch.com "your competitor" - Find coverage of similar companies
  • "Series A" AND "your industry" site:*.com - Find funding coverage
  • inurl:author "journalist name" - Find all articles by a journalist

X/Twitter Advanced Search

Find journalists discussing your industry:

  • Search for your industry keywords + "journalist" or "reporter"
  • Look at who industry experts and VCs follow
  • Find journalists asking for sources on relevant topics

LinkedIn Research

For verifying current employment and finding contact info:

  • Confirm the journalist is still at the publication
  • Find their career history and interests
  • Connect (sparingly) to build long-term relationship

Publication Masthead

Most publications list their staff. Check the "About" or "Contact" page for:

  • Editorial team with titles and beats
  • Sometimes direct email addresses
  • Submission guidelines

Building Your Spreadsheet

Media List Template Columns

Create a spreadsheet with these columns:

Column Purpose
Name Journalist's full name
Publication Where they work
Tier 1, 2, 3, or 4
Beat Topics they cover
Email Contact email
Twitter/X Social handle
Recent Article Link to relevant recent work
Notes Personalization details
Last Contact Date of last outreach
Status Not contacted / Pitched / Responded / Covered

Organization Tips

  • Create separate tabs for different campaigns or announcements
  • Color-code by tier for quick scanning
  • Sort by priority before each campaign
  • Add a "Do Not Contact" list for journalists who've asked to be removed

Verifying Contact Information

Finding Email Patterns

Most publications follow predictable email patterns:

  • firstname@publication.com
  • firstname.lastname@publication.com
  • flastname@publication.com

Email Verification Tools

  • Hunter.io - Enter a domain to see email patterns, then verify specific addresses
  • VoilaNorbert - Find and verify email addresses
  • NeverBounce - Bulk verification to clean your list

When to Use Contact Forms

If you can't find a direct email, some options:

  • Publication's general tips email (less effective)
  • Twitter DM (if they're responsive there)
  • LinkedIn message (use sparingly)

Maintaining Your List

Regular Updates

Media lists decay quickly. Update yours:

  • Before each campaign: Verify top targets are still at their publications
  • Monthly: Add new journalists you've discovered
  • Quarterly: Full audit of the list

Tracking Journalist Moves

Tech journalists change jobs frequently. Track moves via:

  • Twitter announcements
  • LinkedIn job updates
  • Industry newsletters (Talking Biz News, for example)
  • Muck Rack alerts (paid)

List Size Guidelines

Quality over quantity. For different announcement types:

  • Major funding: 30-50 targeted journalists
  • Product launch: 20-40 journalists
  • Thought leadership: 10-20 journalists
  • Niche announcement: 5-15 journalists

If you're sending to more than 50 journalists, you're probably not targeting tightly enough.