Quick answer: To learn how to find tech journalists who fit your company, start with news search for your topic, confirm each reporter’s beat on an author page, then take contact details only from public outlet, profile or social pages.
This research step is one part of media relations for tech companies. Once you have names worth keeping, how to build a tech media list covers organising them, and the message itself belongs in how to pitch tech journalists.
Choosing where to start
The right first move depends on what you already have. A topic with no names calls for a different route than a name you are unsure about.
- You know your topic but no reporters. Begin with news search and read the bylines on recent coverage.
- You know the outlet but not the writer. Go to the publication’s author pages and look at who writes about your area.
- You have a name and doubt it is current. Check the reporter’s profile and recent stories before anything else.
- You have a database export. Treat each entry as a lead to confirm, not a finished contact.
BuzzStream’s guidance on contacting reporters recommends combining media databases, Google News and X/Twitter to pinpoint relevant journalists by beat and recent coverage. No single route is enough, and the table below shows what each one contributes.
| Method | What it shows | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| News search (Google News) | Recent articles on a topic, with the names of the writers | First pass when you have a topic but no names. BuzzStream recommends Google News over Google Search for finding recent articles quickly. |
| Author page | A reporter’s recent posts, which BuzzStream calls standard practice UX for a publication | Confirm that the beat matches what you do. |
| Site-limited search | Results for a reporter’s name within one outlet | Fallback when no author page turns up. |
| Reporter profile with social links | dot.LA profiles list Twitter and LinkedIn channels plus recent story headlines | Check current coverage and spot job changes. |
| Media database | Contact details, though BuzzStream says databases typically get outdated quickly | Use as a source of leads, then verify each one. |
The method notes come from BuzzStream’s guide to contacting reporters, and the profile example from a dot.LA author profile.
Searching news for who covers your topic
News search answers the question of which journalists cover your industry by letting the articles name the writers. Search the specific topic your product sits in, not a broad term like “technology”, and note which bylines recur.
Muck Rack’s 2022 survey found that most journalists (57%) look to online newspapers or magazines for news, according to Editor & Publisher’s report on the survey. That makes outlet sites a sensible place to read coverage patterns rather than relying on social feeds alone.
Finding reporters who cover SaaS
SaaS is a wide label, so searching it alone returns general business coverage. Search the category your product serves and the problem it solves, then collect the bylines on stories that read like your own market.
B2B trade outlets deserve their own pass. Carve Comms frames the task as finding B2B tech journalists to build relationships with on behalf of a brand, and its list includes George Lawton, who writes for TechTarget and VentureBeat. Commercial tech media lists also sort contacts by sector; PR On The Go describes one as covering startup, tech, SaaS, IT and related media. Use such a list to generate names, then confirm each one through recent articles.
Confirming a reporter’s beat on the author page
A beat is the subject area a reporter is assigned or has made their own. The author page, which collects every article under a byline, is the quickest way to see whether it matches your news.
If an outlet has no author page you can find, BuzzStream suggests a site-limited search for the reporter’s name. The byline trail matters more than a job title, because titles are broad and stories are specific.
How major outlets describe beats
Beat descriptions range from narrow to broad, and the difference changes how much homework a pitch needs.
| Reporter and outlet | Described beat | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Hetrick, dot.LA | Entertainment Tech Reporter, formerly a business reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer | A narrow, clearly labelled beat. Pitch only if your news touches entertainment technology. |
| Ben Bergman, Business Insider | Senior correspondent covering technology and business | Suits stories where the business angle is as strong as the product. |
| Katie Roof, Bloomberg | Senior writer focusing on technology and venture capital | Funding and investor-led news fits better than a feature update. |
| Ryan Mac, The New York Times | Tech reporter covering technology, business and policy | Policy or industry-wide relevance matters here. |
| Sheila Dang, Reuters | Social media reporter | Relevant mainly to social platform news. |
| George Lawton, TechTarget and VentureBeat | Writes about technology, business and health; his scope is wide | Broad scope means the quality of your fit has to carry the pitch. |
The first four entries come from dot.LA’s author profiles, and the Reuters and TechTarget entries from Carve Comms’ list of B2B tech journalists, published August 3, 2023. Roles change, so read them as examples of how beats are phrased rather than a current directory.
Checking the reporter is still on the beat
A beat label can outlast the reporter’s actual interest, so check current activity as well as the title. Muck Rack’s 2022 survey found journalists covering four beats on average, up from three a year earlier, so expect several subjects per reporter, not one.
BuzzStream adds a caution: a journalist may jump onto a new beat for only one article and then jump back off. One story on your topic does not make a reporter a regular, so look for repeated coverage over time.
Social profiles help here. Carve Comms recommends following media contacts on their social channels and checking in often, so you learn if they have switched outlets. It also advises rechecking any reporter affected by recent layoffs or a change of role. Where an outlet profile lists Twitter and LinkedIn alongside recent stories, as dot.LA’s do, one page gives you both the evidence and the route to verify it.
Finding a reporter’s email address legitimately
Use an address the outlet or the journalist has made public. BuzzStream notes that many journalists do not put their email addresses front and center, so expect to look in more than one place.
- Author page or profile. Check the reporter’s bio and any listed social channels for a published contact route.
- Outlet contact or masthead pages. These are where an outlet lists its staff and editors, and contact details published there are intended to be used.
- Databases and lists. PR On The Go says the contact information in its list was made publicly available by media outlets and editors. That is the standard to expect from any list, and it still needs a freshness check.
Whatever the route, record where you found each address so you can recheck it later.
Recording what you learn before you pitch
A short note for each reporter turns research into something usable: outlet, recent headlines, the angle each story took, and where you found their contact details. Keep it to what you verified, and date it.
The notes feed straight into a media list, which is the subject of the guide linked above, and into the pitch itself. Keep the research and the writing separate: finish the checks, decide whether the reporter fits, and only then move to how to pitch tech journalists.
Troubleshooting common problems
- No author page. Run a site-limited search for the reporter’s name on the outlet’s domain.
- Bylines in several outlets. Carve Comms lists Martine Paris as a Forbes contributor whose bylines also appear in Bloomberg and elsewhere. Check which outlet ran the stories closest to your topic.
- Only one story on your topic. Treat it as a possible one-off, given BuzzStream’s warning about reporters who briefly move to a beat.
- A contact has moved. Update your records from their latest profile or story, and drop entries you cannot confirm.
Frequently asked questions
What do journalists say they want in a pitch?
Muck Rack surveyed 2,547 journalists from Jan. 4-25, 2022. Its findings, as reported by Editor & Publisher, favoured pitches under 200 words that are timely and personalized.
Can I rely on a tech media list I buy?
Use it as a starting set of leads. BuzzStream says databases typically get outdated quickly, so confirm each reporter’s recent coverage and contact details before using them.
Is a reporter with a wide scope a poor target?
Not necessarily, but fit matters more. Carve Comms says that when a writer’s scope is wide, you should pay attention to the quality of your pitch.
