Building a Media List

A media list is exactly what it sounds like; a list of reporters and media outlets in your area that you want to tell about your event or share a quote or update with. Media lists are straightforward and easiest to make when you’re familiar with the media market. As a local news consumer, this can be easy.

• Start with this template media list. Make a copy of this to get started (File → Make A Copy → [Rename] → Make a Copy).
   
• Jot down some local outlets: List some of the local newspapers, radio, and TV news stations you already know of in Column A. To identify the local TV stations that might cover your area, do a search for a town you might have events in and then the word “ABC”, “NBC, “CBS” and “FOX.” That will give you the right stations. If one of the TV stations in your local media market is a Sinclair station, you might want to consider removing it from you list. You can find a full list of Sinclair stations here.
   
• Find the emails for each TV station: TV stations have central clearing houses called “assignment desks” where they collect information on the all the events happening and decide what to cover at meetings throughout the day. The most important thing is to identify the right email for the station’s assignment desk.
  • On the TV stations website, you can usually find a ‘Contact Us’ tab. Click on it, and you’ll find their newsroom phone number, email, or a contact submission form. If there is no email, and you’re only seeing a contact submission form, call the phone number listed and ask for the newsdesk email address.
  • Call the TV station: This is a good step to take to make sure your press list is as updated and accurate as possible. Call the ‘newsdesk’ or general phone number listed, and introduce yourself. Ask to speak to the assignment desk, and let them know about your event.  Confirm the email address you have for them. This will get you on their radar.
     
• Find reporters covering your Member of Congress (MoC) or a specific issue you’re focused on: Look for recent news stories about your MoC, which you can search for via google.com/news (In the search bar, type “[name of outlet]”, “[name of MoC/issue]”). Look at the bylines and see which reporters cover your MoC or that topic. From there, you can click on the reporters name to go to their profile where they’ll usually have a biography and recent coverage. If they seem like a good fit, add their name and contact information to the spreadsheet. You can usually find their contact information on the website for their outlet, or in the bios of their social media accounts.
   
• If you’re in a time crunch, and need to prioritize your time:
  • If you’re having an event, the main thing you need to do is contact your local TV stations. Prioritize putting 30-45 minutes into just finding the contact information for your local TV station. 

If you’re reacting to news about your MoC or taking a non-in-person action (like a sign-on letter), the main thing you should do is contact reporters in local print/online newspapers who are writing about your MoC. Prioritize putting 30-45 minutes into finding print or online newspaper reporters who are covering your MoC (and/or a specific topic).