I could write a rather lengthy dissertation, listing numerous places where you can
gather media contacts online. But, as luck would have it, Jeremy Porter did it for me with
his excellent article, 14 Free Resources for Building a Media List, on Journalistics.com.
How handy is that? Visit blog.journalistics.com/2009/free-resources-for-building-media-
lists for more information and a wealth of useful information.
Your list is, and should be, a continuing effort. Contacts and media come and go, so
you’ll need to keep an eye on things to ensure your list is up-to-date.
Once you have some contacts, what do you do with them? Odds are, you’ll be con-
tacting them with a press release and/or a press kit (more about those later), maybe a
demo or two and other stuff. Here are some tips when making a first contact:
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- Ensure you have the contact’s name, title and what they write about correct.
That’s pretty much a no-brainer.
- Plan what you’re going to say to ensure you stay on topic and don’t ramble.
- Give them a heads-up, by phone and quickly, before you send anything.
- Ask how they prefer to be contacted.
- Respect their time.
In days gone by I worked at a few large newspapers. Trust me, editorial departments are
crazy places, especially at deadline time. Plus, like many businesses, media folk are hav-
ing to do more with fewer people and even fewer resources. - As a corollary to the above, always ask if it’s a good time to speak.
- Keep to the facts.