How to Find Journalists by Beat: A Step-by-Step Guide

Finding the right journalist for your story starts with understanding beats. A beat is the specific topic area a journalist covers regularly — technology, healthcare, finance, politics, and so on. Pitching a tech reporter about a healthcare story wastes everyone’s time.

Why Beat Targeting Matters

Journalists receive hundreds of pitches weekly. The ones that get opened — and read — come from people who clearly understand what the reporter covers. When you target by beat, you’re showing respect for the journalist’s expertise and increasing your odds of coverage dramatically.

Step 1: Identify Your Story’s Primary Beat

Before searching for journalists, define your story angle. A fintech startup launch could fall under technology, finance, or business. Pick the most specific beat first. A reporter covering “fintech” specifically is more valuable than a general business reporter.

Step 2: Search by Beat in JournalistDB

Use the Browse Directory to filter journalists by beat. You can narrow results further by publication, location, or journalist type. For example, filtering by “Technology” beat and “Reporter” type gives you working tech reporters actively publishing stories.

Step 3: Check Recent Coverage

Before pitching, review what the journalist has published recently. Are they actively covering your topic? Have they written about competitors? Recent coverage is the strongest signal that a journalist is receptive to your pitch angle.

Step 4: Build a Targeted List

Build a shortlist of 15-25 journalists per campaign. Too few and you risk getting zero coverage. Too many and your pitches become generic. Export your list to CSV and personalize each outreach based on the journalist’s recent work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Pitching editors instead of reporters — Editors assign stories but rarely cover them. Target the reporter who would write your story.
• Ignoring location — Local angles can get you coverage in major metros that national outlets miss.
• Mass emailing — Sending the same pitch to 200 journalists is spam. Keep lists small and pitches personal.