Complete PR & Media Lists to Reach 150,000+ Journalists & News Outlets: National Newswire, Local Media Outlets & Industry-Specific News Distribution
What Is a Media List — and Why Does Yours Need to Be Better Than Good?
A media list — also called a press list, press contact list, or journalist directory — is the backbone of any press release campaign. At its most basic, it’s a database of the journalists, reporters, editors, producers, bloggers, and influencers most likely to cover your story.
But a basic media list isn’t enough. The difference between a press release that gets picked up and one that disappears into the spam box is whether your media contacts are the right people, reached at the right address, at the right outlet for your news.
eReleases maintains one of the most comprehensive media contact databases available to small and mid-sized businesses — over 1.7 million contacts spanning every major outlet category, industry beat, and geographic region in the United States. That includes national wire journalists, local news desks, trade publication editors, digital media reporters, and more than 700,000 bloggers and social media influencers who shape how news spreads online.
What a Complete Media List Actually Contains
A well-built press contact list goes far beyond a spreadsheet of email addresses. Each contact in a professional journalist database should include the journalist’s name, title, outlet, beat (the topics they actually cover), preferred contact method, and, critically, whether that information is still accurate.
Media professionals change jobs, change beats, and change email addresses constantly. An outdated media list doesn’t just waste your time; it can actively harm your reputation with journalists who receive press releases meant for someone else.
The eReleases media contacts database is verified and updated on an ongoing basis to ensure deliverability. That means when your press release goes out, it reaches real inboxes belonging to journalists who actually cover your industry — not dead addresses or former employees.
The Difference Between a Media List, a Media Directory, and a Media Database
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe meaningfully different things:
A media list is typically curated for a specific campaign — a targeted set of contacts selected because they’re likely to care about a particular announcement. A media directory is a broader, browseable index of outlets and journalists organized by category, geography, or beat. A media contacts database is the full underlying resource — the complete, structured repository from which targeted lists are built.
Why Building Your Own Press List Is Harder Than It Sounds
Building a media list from scratch is deceptively difficult. We know, because this is what we do every day of the year:
Identifying the right journalists takes research.
Verifying their current contact information takes time.
Keeping that list of media contacts current as journalists move between outlets is essentially a full-time job.
And even then, you’re starting from zero on niche beats and local markets where contacts are harder to find.
That’s why PR professionals, marketing teams, and communications agencies rely on established media databases rather than maintaining their own. The contacts are already there, already verified, and already organized by the criteria that matter: what they cover, where they publish, and who their audience is.
Who’s in the eReleases Media Database?
Our press contact list reaches outlets across every category your story might belong to — from the Associated Press and major national newspapers to regional TV stations, trade publications, industry blogs, and local news desks in every state. Every distribution also includes the disclosure media designated by NYSE, Amex, and Nasdaq, including major financial outlets such as Reuters, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, and Investor’s Business Daily.
Browse the complete media lists below to see a representative sample of the outlets your press release will reach, organized by national newswire coverage, industry-specific journalist lists, influencer and blogger networks, and local media distribution by state and city.
Having a well-curated media list is an essential element of any successful press release campaign. eReleases maintains one of the most comprehensive news media outlets databases available, including journalists, reporters, editors, bloggers, and influencers. Our constantly-updated media lists ensure your press release reaches the right audience. Media professionals trust our distributions because we only send quality, newsworthy content that appeals to their specific audience interests. They look forward to seeing our press releases arrive in their inboxes because they know we’ll only send them quality, newsworthy press releases that will appeal to their audience.
Why eRelease’s PR Media Lists Outperform Other Press Distribution Services
Comprehensive Coverage: Access to 1.7 million journalists and news media outlets across all 50 states
Targeted Distribution: Reach specific industry journalists who cover your exact niche
Local Media Reach: Connect with local news desks and regional publications for geo-targeted campaigns
Influencer Access: Distribute to bloggers and social media influencers in your industry
Constantly Updated Media Contact List: Our media lists are verified and updated regularly to ensure deliverability
Powerful Placements: Guaranteed distribution to major news outlets including AP, Google News, and Yahoo News
Types of PR Media List Distribution Available Through eReleases
Media List Type
Coverage
Best For
Included Outlets
National Newswire
Nationwide
Broad announcements, company news
AP, major newspapers, 4700+ websites
Industry-Specific
Trade publications
Industry announcements, B2B news
Trade magazines, industry blogs, specialized outlets
Influencer Lists
Social media, blogs
Consumer products, trending topics
700,000+ bloggers & social media influencers
Local Markets
Regional/city-specific
Local events, regional business news
Local newspapers, TV & radio stations, city blogs
All distribution services also include the “disclosure” media designated by NYSE, Amex and Nasdaq (including Dow Jones, Reuters, Bloomberg, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Investor’s Business Daily, and others).
The Complete PR Media List for Your Press Release Distribution
Want to see a list of just some of the media sources your press release will reach when you choose eReleases as your press release distribution partner?
Simply choose a category from the left side of any of the four sections below, and we’ll show you some of the media you will reach on the right side.
We’ll handle the rest, getting your press release into the hands of the people most likely to take interest in and publish your story!
1. Custom National PR Newswire Distribution – Reaching Major News Outlets – All eReleases Plans Receive This
Newsroom Direct (the real power of our media list distribution): Our Custom National PR Newswire Distribution reaches nearly every newsroom nationwide. Cision PR Newswire is the oldest and largest press release newswire distribution network in the world, ensuring its media lists are both respected and thorough. All of our press release services also include Associated Press (AP) News Network distribution, reaching the largest newspapers including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Dallas Morning News, etc.
Online: All press releases are sent to more than 4,700 web sites, databases and online news media outlets. Note that the following media are a representative sample and do not include eReleases subscribing journalists. Our partner media database exceeds 1.7 million contacts, including 700,000+ bloggers & social media influencers who can amplify the reach of your news story.
Custom National Newswire Distribution - Click to view
Our press releases show up on Google News and Yahoo! News as well as Google and Bing’s natural search engine results.
In addition, eReleases distributed press releases receive permanent storage in PR Newswire’s private PR Newswire for Journalists. This searchable newsroom is a valuable research tool to more than 90,000 registered journalists, writers, and reporters, so your press release can be referenced and accessed by reporters for years to come.
2. Industry-Specific Media Lists & Trade Categories – Targeted News Distribution – Cost & Availability Varies by Plan
In addition to our Custom National PR Newswire Distribution, your press release may be sent to your choice of industry-specific media lists. The following media list is a representative sample of mostly trade publications and magazines, and is not a comprehensive list of included news outlets.
3. Cision Influencer Lists – Reaching Digital Content Creators – Cost & Availability Varies by Plan
Supplement your wire distribution with delivery to social media influencers, industry bloggers and specialized journalists by popular industry and/or through Cision’s specialty-curated media lists. These news media outlets and digital content creators can significantly amplify your message to targeted audiences. Cision Influencer Lists must be used in conjunction with a newswire distribution.
4. Local News Media Outlets & Regional/State Media Lists – Optional for All Plans
Even if some local news outlets are listed on our Custom National Newswire Distribution media list, note that the local news desks at these outlets will not automatically receive your press release. If your news is relevant to local journalists, choosing Local Distribution is the only way to ensure you are reaching these news media outlets and local news reporters.
Want to develop your own media list of press and news media contacts to submit your press releases to? Take our word on this, that’s an incredibly difficult, time-consuming, and expensive task.
Instead of trying to build and maintain your own list of contacts, why not let eReleases do that for you? We’ll send your press releases to our comprehensive list of over 1.7 million contacts, journalists, bloggers and influencers, organized geographically, by industry, and including both online and local media outlets.
Plus, every press release distribution also reaches national and local media contacts, including 550 news content systems, 3,000 newsrooms, and more than 4,500 major news websites that can significantly increase your story’s impact.
See who your press release will reach by searching any of the categories above.
Learn More About Press Release Writing and Distribution
Learn more about our press release distribution services or see our pricing plans to get started with your media list distribution today. Not sure how to write an effective press release for our media lists? Check out our press release writing services or read our PR blog for expert tips.
Frequently Asked Questions About Media Lists and News Media Outlets
What is a media list?
A media list (oftentimes called a press list, a news outlet list, or a press contact list) is a database of key media contacts who write or report about your specific topic areas.
They usually contain complete contact information for the individual, their title, email address, phone number, preferred method of contact, name of the media they work for, and (most importantly) the type of story they are most interested in reporting on.
How hard is it to compile and keep a media list updated?
As you can imagine, press contacts change constantly as journalists and reporters change companies, beats, and interests.
Keeping an up-to-date press contact list can almost be a full-time job – we know, that’s a big part of what we do for a living!
Why is it important to keep your media list up-to-date?
Having inaccurate information about the person you’re trying to get to report on your company or product is key. Press releases sent to the wrong contacts tend to go directly into the trash, or worse.
Why is it important to have influencers on my media list?
Influencers play a huge role in today’s society. Because they steer the thoughts and actions of large or powerful groups of people, a single conversation or post by an influencer can literally make or cost you millions.
Plus, huge numbers of people now get almost 100% of their news from online sources. That’s why eReleases offers online press release services and includes influencers, bloggers, and other online media in our media lists.