Distribution Lists

How many distribution lists can I build?

You can build an unlimited number of lists. The media prefers news that is relevant to them, so use the ability to build lots of highly-targeted lists to your advantage!

What are “My Saved Lists”?

You can build as many custom lists as you like using the “Build a New List” tool, and then save them to use when distributing press releases. Choose names that do a good job describing your list so it’s easy to figure out which one to use when you want it.

What is “My First Media List”?

readMedia automatically provides you with a master list of all of the media within your geographic reach when you sign up for a Plus, Pro, or Premium account. This list appears in your account as “My First Media List”.

Why is one of my saved lists highlighted in red?

These lists contain media contacts that are outside of your organization’s reach. They cannot be edited or copied.

How do I make my own list of media to send press releases to?

It’s easy once you get the hang of it. First select “Create new list”. You’ll then see the list builder. Each of the blue/green bars has text that says “Show”. These bars expand when you click on them to show you the options underneath the heading.

For example, when you click “Show” on the “Narrow Your List by Geography” bar, it will expand to show you the geographic options available within your reach. You can select areas all the way down to the county level. Select the area(s) you want by putting a tick-mark into the box next to it. The “Your List So Far” section to the left will update immediately.

What does “Add media interested only in local news” mean? Why does selecting this option increase the number of recipients?

This option (under the “Narrow Your List by Media Type” header bar) lets you target smaller news publications that deal with highly localized news content that’s only of interest in their town or county.

Selecting “Add media interested only in local news” will add recipients to your list who fit your other parameters but want highly local news. As with all list building, make sure that your news really does fit the parameter – our ability to reach an editor with your press release doesn’t make him or her more interested in it if it’s not relevant.

What does “adding my own contacts” do?

This puts contacts that you’ve stored in Newsmaker into the list you’re building. This allows you to use our advanced distribution capabilities to reach your personal or proprietary contacts in the same way you send your press releases.

See more about this capability in the “Personal Contacts” section above.

I just picked a topic and most of my list recipients disappeared! What happened?

When you narrow your list by topic, you are telling our database to choose ONLY reporters, editors, and organizations that are interested in that topic ALONE. While the topic list that you see is extremely detailed, the number of reporters or editors in each category may be minimal. You should really only use this option when building trade lists or if you’re searching for specialty media.

If you want to make sure your release goes to business editors or sports editors (for example) at a more general-purpose list, you can indicate that in the “special instructions” section when you issue a press release, and we’ll make sure that happens.

What’s going on in that box on the left-hand side of the screen?

That’s the “Your List So Far” box. It summarizes the list you’re building based on the parameters you’ve selected. It’s a way to keep track of what you’ve done so far and the size and composition of your list.

Can I see the media contacts on the list I’m building?

Just click on the “View/Edit” link in the “Your List So Far” box. It will take you to a table that shows you every recipient on your list, sorted by organization and person. You may “cross off” whole organizations or individual people from the list by putting a tick-mark in the box next to the organization’s or person’s name, and they’ll never appear on your list.

Can I add individual reporters and editors to my list?

Yes. In the “View/Edit” section, you’ll see an “Add to List” tab. Here you can add organizations and individuals from our media database to your list. Just type in the name you want and put a tick-mark next to the person or organization you want to add.

Why are some people and media outlets highlighted in red?

These media contacts fall outside of your organization’s reach. Media personnel outside your reach cannot be added to any of your distribution lists. To send a press release to these contacts you will want to either add that area to your oranization’s reach or select a standard readMedia lists when sending your press release.