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Cognitive architecture for AI-augmented software development with structured memory, ensemble validation, and closed-loop correction. FAIR-aligned artifacts, 84% cost reduction via human-in-the-loop, standards adopted by 100+ organizations.
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Markdown
# Media Contact List & Database Template
## Metadata
- ID: PRS-008
- Owner: PR Manager (agents/pr-manager.md)
- Contributors: Content Strategist (agents/content-strategist.md), Research Analyst (agents/research-analyst.md)
- Reviewers: Executive Orchestrator (agents/executive-orchestrator.md)
- Team: `team`
- Status: `active/needs-update/archived`
- Dates: created `YYYY-MM-DD` / updated `YYYY-MM-DD` / next-review `YYYY-MM-DD`
- Related: PRS-003, PRS-002, SOC-`id`
- Links: `crm-url`, `media-database-service-url`
## Purpose
Comprehensive contact database for journalists, bloggers, podcasters, analysts, and influencers relevant to company coverage. Includes contact information, beat/coverage areas, engagement history, and relationship management best practices. Supports targeted media outreach, relationship building, and coverage tracking.
## Database Platforms
### Commercial Media Databases
**Tier 1** (Comprehensive, Expensive):
**Cision**:
- Contacts: 1M+ journalists, influencers, bloggers
- Features: Media monitoring, pitch tracking, influencer discovery
- Pricing: $7,000-$15,000/year
- Best for: Enterprise companies, agencies
**Muck Rack**:
- Contacts: 1M+ journalists with verified profiles
- Features: Relationship tracking, portfolio tracking, media alerts
- Pricing: $5,000-$12,000/year
- Best for: Mid-size to enterprise companies
**Prowly**:
- Contacts: 1M+ media contacts
- Features: Email campaigns, newsroom, media monitoring
- Pricing: $3,000-$6,000/year
- Best for: Growing companies, PR teams
**Tier 2** (Targeted, Moderate):
**JustReachOut**:
- Contacts: 500K+ journalists
- Features: Pitch templates, podcast database
- Pricing: $99-$399/month
- Best for: Startups, solopreneurs
**Anewstip**:
- Contacts: Journalist query database (HARO-style)
- Features: Media opportunities, pitch matching
- Pricing: $49-$199/month
- Best for: Budget-conscious PR teams
### DIY Database (Spreadsheet/CRM)
**When to Build Your Own**:
- Limited budget (< $3K/year for tools)
- Niche industry (commercial databases lack coverage)
- Small media list (< 100 contacts)
- Want full control and customization
**Platform Options**:
- **Airtable**: Flexible database with relationships, great for collaboration
- **Google Sheets**: Free, simple, real-time collaboration
- **HubSpot/Salesforce**: Full CRM with marketing automation
- **Notion**: Database + knowledge base combo
## Media Contact Record Structure
### Core Fields
```yaml
Contact Information:
first_name: "Sarah"
last_name: "Johnson"
preferred_name: "Sarah" # If different from first name
pronouns: "she/her" # Optional but respectful
email: "sjohnson@techpublication.com"
personal_email: "sarah.j.writer@gmail.com" # If known, for when they change jobs
phone: "+1-555-123-4567" # Include country code
mobile: "+1-555-789-0123" # If known
twitter: "@sarahjtech"
linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/in/sarahjohnson"
Professional Information:
outlet: "TechPublication"
title: "Senior Reporter"
beat: "Enterprise Software, Cybersecurity"
secondary_beats: "AI/ML, Cloud Infrastructure"
outlet_type: "Trade Publication" # Options: Daily News, Trade, Blog, Podcast, YouTube, Newsletter
tier: 1 # 1 = National/Top-tier, 2 = Industry/Regional, 3 = Niche/Local
audience_size: "500K monthly readers" # If known
location: "San Francisco, CA"
timezone: "America/Los_Angeles"
Contact Preferences:
preferred_contact_method: "Email" # Email, Twitter DM, LinkedIn, Phone
best_time_to_contact: "9-11 AM PT, Tuesday-Thursday"
pitch_format: "Short email with data/exclusive" # Based on successful pitches
do_not_contact_about: "Consumer apps, mobile games" # Topics they've rejected
Relationship Status:
relationship_level: "Warm" # Cold, Warm, Hot, Champion
last_contact_date: "2024-11-15"
last_contact_type: "Pitch (Product Launch)"
last_response_date: "2024-11-16"
last_coverage_date: "2024-10-01"
total_pitches_sent: 8
total_responses: 5
total_articles_written: 3
response_rate: "62.5%"
Notes:
background: "Former engineer at Google, now covering enterprise tech. Very data-driven, loves exclusives."
interests: "Zero-trust security, AI ethics, developer tools"
recent_articles:
- "The State of Enterprise Security 2024 (Oct 2024)"
- "Why AI Audits Are Failing (Sept 2024)"
pitch_successes: "Responded well to data-driven pitches with exclusive access"
pitch_failures: "Rejected generic product launch (no differentiation)"
personal_notes: "Marathon runner, tweets about Bay Area tech scene, attended RSA Conference"
Internal Tracking:
assigned_to: "PR Manager"
added_by: "Research Analyst"
date_added: "2023-05-10"
last_updated: "2024-11-20"
tags: ["cybersecurity", "enterprise", "tier-1", "responsive", "data-driven"]
status: "Active" # Active, Left Outlet, Bounced Email, Do Not Contact
```
### Custom Fields (Industry-Specific)
**For B2B Technology**:
- Technical expertise level: 1-5 (1 = business reporter, 5 = deeply technical)
- Coverage stage preference: Early-stage, Growth, Enterprise
- Formats: Long-form features, News briefs, Analysis, Reviews
**For Consumer Products**:
- Product categories covered: List
- Review style: Data-driven, Narrative, Video
- Accepts review units: Yes/No
- Disclosure preferences: FTC-compliant, Sponsored vs Editorial
**For Healthcare/Biotech**:
- Medical credentials: MD, PhD, Science journalist
- Regulatory focus: FDA, EMA, Clinical trials
- Patient advocacy: Yes/No
## Media List Segmentation
### By Tier
**Tier 1** (Top Priority):
- National/international reach
- High credibility and influence
- Examples: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, TechCrunch (for tech), Wired
- Treatment: Personalized pitches, exclusive access, CEO interviews
**Tier 2** (Important):
- Industry trade publications
- Regional major outlets
- Examples: CRN, InformationWeek, VentureBeat, regional business journals
- Treatment: Customized pitches, product demos, exec interviews
**Tier 3** (Volume):
- Niche blogs and newsletters
- Local media
- Smaller podcasts/YouTube channels
- Treatment: Templated pitches (with personalization), press releases
### By Beat/Topic
**Primary Beats** (Core coverage areas):
- Enterprise Software
- Cybersecurity
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cloud Computing
- Developer Tools
**Cross-Functional Beats** (Occasional coverage):
- Business Strategy
- Startup Funding
- Leadership/HR
- Sustainability
**Geographic Beats**:
- San Francisco Bay Area
- New York Tech Scene
- Austin Tech Hub
- Remote/Distributed Work
### By Outlet Type
**Daily News**: Breaking news, fast turnaround
**Trade Publications**: Deep-dive analysis, industry trends
**Blogs**: Opinion, personal perspective
**Podcasts**: Long-form conversation, storytelling
**YouTube/Video**: Visual demonstrations, interviews
**Newsletters**: Curated insights, link roundups
**Analyst Firms**: Research reports, vendor comparisons (Gartner, Forrester, IDC)
### By Engagement Level
**Champions** (Frequent coverage, positive relationship):
- Have written multiple positive articles
- Respond quickly to pitches
- Occasionally reach out proactively
- Treatment: VIP access, early embargoes, background briefings
**Warm Contacts** (Responsive, occasional coverage):
- Have responded to pitches
- Covered company at least once
- Generally positive or neutral
- Treatment: Targeted pitches, interview offers
**Cold Contacts** (No prior engagement):
- On list but never responded
- Cover relevant beat but haven't written about company
- Treatment: Occasional pitches with strong news hooks
**Do Not Contact** (Explicitly declined or bounced):
- Unsubscribed from emails
- Email bounced (left outlet)
- Requested no further contact
- Treatment: Remove from pitch lists, monitor for job changes
## Data Collection & Research
### Building Your Media List
**Sources for Finding Journalists**:
1. **Publication Mastheads**: Check "About Us" or "Our Team" pages
2. **Article Bylines**: Read coverage of your industry/competitors
3. **Twitter/X**: Search for journalists covering your beat
4. **LinkedIn**: Search by title + publication + industry keywords
5. **Podcast Directories**: Apple Podcasts, Spotify (search by topic)
6. **YouTube**: Search for channels covering your industry
7. **Muck Rack/Cision**: If you have access
8. **Conference Speakers**: Industry events often feature journalists
9. **Previous Coverage**: Who wrote about competitors or similar companies?
**Research Checklist** (Before Adding Contact):
- [ ] Verify current employer (journalists move frequently)
- [ ] Check recent articles (last 3-6 months)
- [ ] Confirm beat/coverage area (read bio, article history)
- [ ] Find contact preferences (stated in bio or Twitter)
- [ ] Identify personal interests (Twitter, LinkedIn for context)
- [ ] Assess tier/reach (publication circulation, social following)
### Keeping Data Current
**Monthly Maintenance**:
- [ ] Check for bounced emails (journalists change jobs often)
- [ ] Update recent articles (add new coverage)
- [ ] Verify outlet names (mergers, rebrandings)
- [ ] Remove duplicates
**Quarterly Deep Clean**:
- [ ] Verify all email addresses (send test batch)
- [ ] Research journalists who haven't engaged (still at outlet?)
- [ ] Update tier classifications (publication reach changes)
- [ ] Add new journalists (competitors covered, new publications)
- [ ] Archive inactive contacts (left journalism, retired beat)
**Annual Audit**:
- [ ] Full database review
- [ ] Relationship scoring update
- [ ] Segmentation optimization
- [ ] CRM integration check
### Privacy & Compliance
**GDPR Compliance** (EU journalists):
- **Legitimate Interest Basis**: Media relations is generally accepted
- **Opt-Out**: Honor unsubscribe requests immediately
- **Data Minimization**: Only collect necessary fields
- **Right to Deletion**: Remove upon request
**CAN-SPAM Compliance** (US):
- **Unsubscribe Link**: Include in all mass emails
- **Accurate Headers**: From/Reply-to must be valid
- **Physical Address**: Include in email footer
- **Honor Opt-Outs**: Within 10 business days
**Best Practices**:
- Don't buy lists (poor quality, compliance risk)
- Document opt-in source ("Added from article byline on [date]")
- Provide easy unsubscribe (one-click preferred)
- Respect "Do Not Contact" (even if not legally required)
## Relationship Management
### Interaction Tracking
**Log Every Interaction**:
```yaml
Interaction Record:
date: "2024-11-20"
type: "Pitch" # Pitch, Response, Interview, Coverage, Event Meeting, Social Engagement
subject: "AI Security Platform Launch"
outcome: "Positive Response - Interview Scheduled"
notes: "Interested in customer data, wants to speak with CISO customer"
next_action: "Send customer intro email by Nov 22"
next_action_date: "2024-11-22"
assigned_to: "PR Manager"
```
**Coverage Tracking**:
```yaml
Coverage Record:
date_published: "2024-11-28"
outlet: "TechPublication"
author: "Sarah Johnson"
title: "How AI is Transforming Enterprise Security"
url: "https://techpub.com/article-url"
type: "Feature Article" # News Brief, Feature, Review, Interview, Podcast, Video
word_count: 1500
sentiment: "Positive" # Positive, Neutral, Negative, Mixed
key_messages_included:
- "75% false positive reduction"
- "Customer success story (Fortune 500 financial)"
share_of_voice: "Primary focus" # Primary, Mentioned, Competitor Comparison
company_quotes: 2
competitor_mentions: "None"
reach_impressions: "500K readers" # If known
social_shares: 342 # Twitter, LinkedIn combined
inbound_traffic: 45 # Website visits from article (tracked via UTM)
lead_generation: 3 # Demo requests attributed to article
```
### Engagement Scoring
**Calculate Relationship Health**:
```
Engagement Score = (Responses / Pitches) × 50
+ (Coverage / Pitches) × 100
+ (Proactive Reach-outs × 25)
- (Bounces × 50)
Examples:
- Champion: 150+ (Responds frequently, covers regularly, reaches out proactively)
- Warm: 75-149 (Occasionally responds, has covered once or twice)
- Cold: 25-74 (Rare responses, no coverage yet)
- Inactive: <25 (No engagement, consider removing)
```
**Engagement Actions by Score**:
**Champions (150+)**:
- Monthly check-ins (not pitches - relationship building)
- Exclusive embargoed access
- Background briefings (off-the-record context)
- Invite to executive roundtables or events
- Personalized holiday/birthday notes
**Warm (75-149)**:
- Quarterly touchpoints
- Targeted pitches (not every announcement)
- Interview opportunities
- Include in broader briefings
**Cold (25-74)**:
- Occasional pitches (major news only)
- Monitor for job changes or beat shifts
- Re-engagement campaign (new angle)
**Inactive (<25)**:
- Move to "dormant" list
- Remove from regular pitches
- Monitor for relevance changes
## Media List Templates
### Spreadsheet Template (Google Sheets / Excel)
**Columns**:
| First Name | Last Name | Email | Outlet | Title | Beat | Tier | Last Contact | Last Coverage | Response Rate | Notes | Tags |
|------------|-----------|-------|--------|-------|------|------|--------------|---------------|---------------|-------|------|
**Sample Row**:
| Sarah | Johnson | sjohnson@techpub.com | TechPublication | Senior Reporter | Cybersecurity, Enterprise | 1 | 2024-11-15 | 2024-10-01 | 62.5% | Loves data, prefers email, best contact Tue-Thu AM | cybersecurity, tier-1, responsive |
**Tabs**:
- **All Contacts**: Master list
- **Tier 1**: Top-priority journalists
- **By Beat**: Separate tabs for each beat (Cybersecurity, AI, etc.)
- **By Outlet Type**: News, Trade, Podcast, etc.
- **Champions**: Frequent coverage, best relationships
- **Do Not Contact**: Unsubscribed or bounced
**Formulas**:
```excel
// Response Rate
=IFERROR(Responses/Pitches*100, 0)
// Days Since Last Contact
=TODAY()-LastContactDate
// Engagement Score
=(Responses/Pitches*50) + (Coverage/Pitches*100) + (ProactiveReachouts*25)
```
### Airtable Template
**Tables**:
1. **Contacts** (Main)
- Fields: All core fields above
- Views: By Tier, By Beat, By Engagement Score, Needs Follow-Up
2. **Outlets**
- Fields: Outlet Name, Type, Tier, Circulation, Website, Social Media
- Linked to: Contacts (many-to-one)
3. **Interactions**
- Fields: Date, Type, Outcome, Notes, Next Action
- Linked to: Contacts (many-to-one)
4. **Coverage**
- Fields: Date Published, Article Title, URL, Sentiment, Key Messages
- Linked to: Contacts (many-to-one), Outlets (many-to-one)
5. **Pitches**
- Fields: Date Sent, Subject, Angle, Outcome, Recipients
- Linked to: Contacts (many-to-many)
**Automations**:
- When Pitch sent → Update Last Contact Date
- When Coverage added → Increment Coverage Count
- When Email bounces → Add to "Verify Contact" view
- 90 days since last contact → Flag for re-engagement
### CRM Integration (HubSpot / Salesforce)
**Contact Record**:
- Standard fields + Custom properties for journalism-specific data
- Activity timeline (emails, calls, meetings)
- Deal pipeline (Coverage → Published → Amplified)
**Lists/Segments**:
- Dynamic lists based on engagement score
- Static lists for campaign targeting
- Suppression lists (Do Not Contact)
**Workflows**:
- Auto-tag based on interaction type
- Lead scoring for journalist engagement
- Email sequences for re-engagement
- Task creation for follow-ups
**Reports/Dashboards**:
- Coverage by month
- Response rates by tier/beat
- Journalist engagement trends
- Top outlets by coverage volume
## Outreach Workflows
### Initial Contact (Cold Outreach)
**Research First** (30 minutes per journalist):
1. Read last 5-10 articles
2. Check Twitter for recent interests
3. Identify unique angle relevant to their beat
4. Note any personal interests (for rapport)
**Personalized Pitch**:
```
Subject: [Relevant to recent article] - [Your news hook]
Hi [First Name],
I saw your piece on [specific article title] in [Publication] and thought
you might be interested in [relevant news/data] that ties into [topic they
covered].
[2-3 sentences on news with specific, relevant angle]
Would this be of interest for a [article type they write]?
Happy to provide [exclusive data/interview/early access].
Best regards,
[Your Name]
P.S. [Personal note referencing their interest/recent work]
```
**Follow-Up Protocol**:
- Day 3: If no response, send brief follow-up
- Day 7: If still no response, move to "Unresponsive" segment
- 30 days: Try different angle or wait for major news
### Ongoing Relationship (Warm Contacts)
**Quarterly Check-Ins** (Not pitches):
```
Subject: Quick hello + [Industry trend]
Hi [Name],
Hope you're doing well! I've been following your coverage of [beat] and
wanted to share some interesting data we're seeing on [trend].
[2-3 sentences with data or insight - no ask, just value]
If you're ever looking for expert perspectives on [topics], I'm happy to
connect you with our [executives/customers].
Best,
[Your Name]
```
**Value-Add Touchpoints**:
- Send relevant reports (third-party, not just company research)
- Congratulate on awards or new job
- Share their articles (genuine engagement, not brown-nosing)
- Offer background briefings (no attribution, just context)
### Champion Cultivation
**Exclusive Access**:
- Early embargo (24-72 hours before tier 2/3)
- One-on-one executive time
- Customer introductions (if they're writing case study)
- Data exclusives (first access to research)
**Relationship Maintenance**:
- Quarterly coffee/lunch (virtual or in-person)
- Invite to company events (product launches, customer conferences)
- Background briefings on strategy (off-record)
- Personal notes (holidays, congratulations on achievements)
## Media List Hygiene
### Email Verification
**Automated Tools**:
- **NeverBounce**: Bulk email verification ($10 per 1,000 emails)
- **ZeroBounce**: Email validation + spam trap detection
- **Hunter.io**: Find and verify email addresses
**Manual Verification**:
- LinkedIn: Check current employer
- Twitter bio: Often lists current outlet
- Google: "[Journalist Name] [Outlet]" to verify
**Bounce Handling**:
- Hard bounce (doesn't exist): Remove or research new contact
- Soft bounce (mailbox full): Retry once, then remove
- Out-of-office: Note for later follow-up
### Job Change Tracking
**Journalists move frequently** (average tenure: 2-3 years):
**Monitoring Methods**:
- **Google Alerts**: Set for "[Journalist Name] + new job"
- **Twitter**: Many announce job changes
- **LinkedIn**: Job change notifications if connected
- **Media databases**: Muck Rack/Cision update frequently
**Action When Journalist Moves**:
1. Update contact record (new outlet, email, title)
2. Send congratulations note (relationship maintenance)
3. Assess new beat relevance (still covers your industry?)
4. Adjust tier/priority (new outlet more/less relevant?)
5. Archive old contact info (in case they return)
## Analytics & Reporting
### Key Metrics
**Database Health**:
- Total contacts: [Number]
- Active contacts (contacted in last 12 months): [Number] ([Percentage]%)
- Verified emails (last 90 days): [Percentage]%
- Average engagement score: [Score]
- Champions: [Number]
- Warm: [Number]
- Cold: [Number]
**Outreach Performance**:
- Pitches sent (monthly): [Number]
- Response rate: [Percentage]%
- Coverage generated: [Number]
- Coverage per pitch: [Ratio]
**Relationship Quality**:
- Average response time: [Hours/Days]
- Journalists reached out proactively: [Number]
- Repeat coverage: [Number] journalists, [Number] articles
**ROI**:
- Coverage value (AVE or reach): $[Amount]
- Cost per coverage: $[Amount] (PR staff + tools ÷ coverage)
- Inbound traffic from coverage: [Number] visits
- Leads from coverage: [Number]
### Monthly Report Template
```markdown
# Media Relations Report - [Month YYYY]
## Summary
- Pitches Sent: [Number]
- Responses Received: [Number] ([Percentage]% response rate)
- Coverage Secured: [Number] articles
- Tier 1 Coverage: [Number]
- Estimated Reach: [Number] impressions
## Top Coverage
1. [Article Title] - [Publication] - [Date]
- Reach: [Number]
- Sentiment: [Positive/Neutral/Negative]
- Key Messages: [List]
2. [Article Title] - [Publication] - [Date]
...
## New Relationships
- [Journalist Name] - [Outlet] (First coverage)
- [Journalist Name] - [Outlet] (First positive response)
## Database Updates
- Contacts added: [Number]
- Contacts removed: [Number]
- Job changes tracked: [Number]
- Email verification: [Percentage]% verified
## Next Month Focus
- [Priority 1: e.g., Tier 1 outreach for product launch]
- [Priority 2: e.g., Podcast tour - 5 targeted pitches]
- [Priority 3: e.g., Re-engage 20 cold contacts]
```
## Best Practices
### Do's
**Research Before Outreach**:
- Read journalist's recent work
- Understand their beat and angle
- Personalize every pitch
- Respect their time and preferences
**Build Relationships**:
- Provide value (not just pitches)
- Be responsive and helpful
- Follow through on commitments
- Celebrate their successes
**Maintain Data**:
- Update after every interaction
- Verify contacts quarterly
- Track job changes immediately
- Document pitch outcomes
### Don'ts
**Generic Mass Emails**:
- Don't BCC 100+ journalists on one pitch
- Don't use "Dear Sir/Madam"
- Don't ignore beat relevance
**Over-Pitching**:
- Don't pitch every announcement to every journalist
- Don't follow up excessively (3 times max)
- Don't pitch unrelated stories
**Relationship Mistakes**:
- Don't ask "Did you get my email?" (insulting)
- Don't demand coverage ("We're a sponsor, you owe us")
- Don't burn bridges (today's blogger is tomorrow's WSJ reporter)
- Don't badmouth competitors or other journalists
**Data Misuse**:
- Don't add journalists without consent (ethical grey area)
- Don't share/sell your media list
- Don't ignore unsubscribe requests
- Don't use personal emails without permission
## Related Templates
- **Media Pitch**: PRS-003 (outreach email templates)
- **Press Release**: PRS-001 (announcement format)
- **Media Kit**: PRS-002 (comprehensive asset library)
- **Q&A Document**: PRS-006 (media inquiry responses)
## References
- Cision 2024 State of the Media Report
- Muck Rack State of Journalism 2024
- GDPR Compliance for Marketing (ICO guidance)
- CAN-SPAM Act Compliance Guide (FTC)
- "The New Rules of Marketing & PR" - David Meerman Scott
- Media database comparison (G2 reviews)