The answer lies in media databases.

With the right database, you can find relevant journalists, create targeted media lists, and build meaningful public relations for many years to come. It's a much more effective alternative to buying media lists, as they will never be 100% tailored to your needs.

In this guide, you will read everything you need to know to choose the best media contact database for PR as well as compare top providers in 2025.

If you don't feel like comparing journalist databases, Prowly's media database software is free for 7 days with full search access, so you can see if it's a match for yourself.

TL;DR: Best media database tools by use case

1. Prowly: Ideal for PR teams seeking an affordable, all-in-one platform with over 1 million contacts, AI-assisted search, and integrated press release tools.
2. Meltwater: Best suited for large enterprises requiring comprehensive global media monitoring and analytics across news, social, and broadcast channels.
3. Muck Rack: Perfect for PR professionals who prioritize real-time online news tracking and journalist engagement through social media integration.
4. Cision: Tailored to organizations needing an extensive media database with advanced outreach automation and detailed analytics.
5. Propel: Designed for teams focused on PR workflow management, offering CRM-like features and AI-driven pitch recommendations.
6. Agility PR: Suitable for users looking for a versatile platform that combines media outreach with multi-channel monitoring capabilities.
7. Roxhill: Best for UK-based PR professionals seeking a curated database of journalists and media outlets with a focus on quality over quantity.
8. Critical Mention: Ideal for those needing real-time broadcast monitoring alongside online and social media tracking.
9. Notified: A comprehensive solution for enterprises aiming to manage PR campaigns, investor relations, and event communications in one place.

What is a media database (and why do you need one)?

A media database is an organized directory of journalists, editors, bloggers, and media outlets. It usually includes:

• Journalists' contact information
• Topics they cover
• Where they work
• How they prefer to be contacted

PR professionals use media databases to find the right people for their stories. Instead of guessing or researching from scratch, you get instant access to relevant contacts.

This helps you:

• Build media lists faster and find new journalists easily
• Personalize your outreach (e.g. based on a journalist's recent articles)
• Manage ongoing relationships

In short, a media database saves time and helps you land better media coverage.

List of journalist databases for PR

Unfortunately, many media database providers do not publicly share much information about their media databases (such as pricing), requiring you to contact them directly to find out more.

When choosing a media database, the most important thing is to check how many journalists in your niche are available and whether the data is up-to-date. The best way to find out is to sign up for a free trial or demo call with the database provider and check the quality of the contacts directly.

Prowly

Prowly is a user-friendly platform ideal for small to medium-sized PR teams. It provides access to over 1 million media contacts, AI-assisted search, and integrated press release tools.

With transparent pricing starting at $258/month and a 7-day free trial, Prowly is an excellent option for anyone who needs an all-in-one PR solution.

Key features:

• Media database with over 1 million contacts.
• AI-powered search for relevant media contacts.
• Customizable online newsrooms with SEO capabilities.
• Integrated press release creator and pitching tools.
• Media and social media monitoring.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface.
• Affordable pricing with transparent plans.
• Comprehensive feature set for PR needs.

Cons:

• Limited functionality in basic plans.

Pricing:

Prowly‘s media database costs $258/mo for the most basic plan, which includes the ability to use or export 1,000 media contacts. The price can be upgraded to 3,000 media contacts, which brings the total to $393. More contacts are additionally available upon request.

Meltwater

Meltwater is designed for large enterprises requiring comprehensive global media monitoring and analytics. It offers access to over 380,000 media contacts and integrates news, social, and broadcast monitoring.

Key features:

• Global media database with extensive contact information.
• Comprehensive media monitoring across news, social, and broadcast channels.
• Advanced analytics and reporting tools.
• Integration with social media management.

Pros:

• Powerful media monitoring capabilities.
• User-friendly interface with customizable reports.
• Strong customer support during setup.

Cons:

• High price, starting from $6,000/year.
• Some users find the platform's development immature.
• Additional features may come at extra costs.

Pricing:

Meltwater's media database pricing is also not available on their website. From our data, we estimate it to cost $6,000 per year if purchased for a single country. With more countries, the price can increase to $8,000 annually.

→ For more on Meltwater pricing, click here.

Muck Rack

PR professionals love Muck Rack because it prioritizes real-time online news tracking and journalist engagement. It has a database of over 300,000 contacts and emphasizes accurate, up-to-date information.

Key features:

• AI-powered media database indexing hundreds of millions of data points.
• Real-time media monitoring and alerts.
• PR campaign management and reporting tools.
• Collaboration tools for PR teams.

Pros:

• Comprehensive and up-to-date journalist profiles.
• User-friendly platform with strong customer support.
• Effective media monitoring capabilities.

Cons:

• High price, approximately $10,000/year.
• Some reports of outdated contacts.
• Limited AI insights compared to competitors.

Pricing:

Muck Rack's pricing is also hidden, but we estimate their database to cost around $10,000 per year or more, with no available monthly option.

Cision

Cision caters to organizations that need an extensive media database with advanced outreach automation and detailed analytics. With over 1.4 million contacts, it has a wide range of tools for press release distribution and media monitoring.

Key features:

• Extensive media database with over 1.4 million contacts.
• Advanced outreach automation and detailed analytics.
• Press release and email distribution, media monitoring tools.
• Social media listening and content management.

Pros:

• Comprehensive PR software with a wide range of tools.
• In-depth media databases and monitoring services.
• Flexible and user-friendly interface.

Cons:

• High price, starting at approximately $10,000/year.
• Requires annual contracts.
• Some users report high bounce-back rates on emails.

Pricing:

Based on our insights, Cision's media database pricing is around $600 monthly. Because Cision only offers annual plans, the database will cost a hefty $10,000 each year or more.

Cision's PR database is one of the most expensive available on the market, partly because it requires buying the other tools that Cision offers to get full use of it. Pricing is not publicly available on their website and requires potential users to contact their sales department.

Propel

Propel is designed for teams focused on PR workflow management. It offers CRM-like features and AI-driven pitch recommendations. It includes a global media database with over 1 million journalists and integrates with Gmail and Outlook.

Key features:

• AI-powered journalist recommendations.
• Media database with over 1 million contacts.
• PR CRM for workflow management.
• Integration with Gmail and Outlook.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing starting at $2,400/year.
• Strong analytics and reporting tools.
• User-friendly interface with responsive customer support software.

Cons:

• Limited enterprise features.
• Some users find the UI clumsy.
• Running reports and obtaining metrics can be challenging.

Pricing:

Propel offers its media database with its PRM4TM subscription, which includes four users. The tool also includes media monitoring and other useful PR features.

Agility PR

Agility PR Solutions is a versatile platform that combines media outreach with multi-channel monitoring capabilities. It offers a media database with over 1 million contacts and tools for press release distribution and PR measurement. Pricing details are undisclosed.

Key features:

• Media database with over 1 million contacts.
• Media outreach, monitoring, and analytics tools.
• Real-time alerts and sentiment analysis.
• Customizable reports and competitor analysis.

Pros:

• Suitable for agencies with multiple clients.
• Excellent customer support.
• Ease of use and intuitive interface.

Cons:

• Pricing can be high, with annual plans only.
• Media database personalization features could be improved.
• Some users report data inaccuracies.

Roxhill

Roxhill is best for UK-based PR professionals seeking a curated database of journalists and media outlets with a focus on quality over quantity. It provides personalized media insights and media monitoring tools. Pricing is undisclosed.

Key features:

• Database of over 190,000 journalist profiles.
• Real-time articles and journalists' social feeds.
• Advanced search technology and ready-made lists.
• Integrated media intelligence and monitoring.

Pros:

• Sophisticated and up-to-date media database.
• Intuitive to use with great list functions.
• Excellent customer service.

Cons:

• Some users report that details are often not up to date.
• Occasional slowness, possibly due to internet speeds.

Critical Mention

Critical Mention is ideal for those needing real-time broadcast monitoring alongside online and social media tracking. It offers near real-time tracking of brand, competitor, and keyword mentions across various media, including TV, radio, online news, social media, and podcasts. Pricing is estimated between $2,500 and $10,000 per year.

Key features:

• Real-time broadcast monitoring (TV, radio, podcasts).
• Online news and social media tracking.
• Customizable reports with graphs and charts.
• Media contact database.

Pros:

• Comprehensive media monitoring capabilities.
• User-friendly interface.
• Responsive customer support.

Cons:

• The media database may not be as robust as its competitors.
• Some users report outdated contact information.

Notified

Notified provides a comprehensive solution for enterprises aiming to manage PR campaigns, investor relations, and event communications in one place. It includes tools for media monitoring, press release distribution, and analytics. Pricing details are undisclosed.

Key features:

• Media monitoring across various channels.
• Press release distribution and analytics.
• Investor relations and event communications management.
• Integrated PR campaign tools.

Pros:

• Comprehensive solution for enterprises.
• Combines PR, IR, and event communications.
• Robust analytics and reporting features.

Cons:

• Pricing details are undisclosed.
• It may be more suitable for larger organizations.

What to consider when choosing a media database

Media contact database size

Whether you're looking for a national or international media database, it's worth noting how many media contacts are available. While more is not always better, it increases your chances of finding the right journalists who will be most interested in your news story.

The largest media databases will have at least 1 million media contacts available, although this number can be lower if the database covers only a certain region.

Prowly’s Media Database has more than 1.1 million contacts, making it one of the biggest media contact databases on the market.

However, access to a large email database doesn't guarantee coverage. The key is identifying the right outlets and journalists.

PR experts note a shift towards research and data-driven decisions due to changes in the media landscape. With fewer traditional outlets and more niche platforms, effective pitching requires thorough research. Only about a quarter of pitches are relevant to a given journalist's audience.

Prowly enhances contact searches with unique features:

👉🏼 Partnership with Semrush provides exclusive data on audience and traffic.
👉🏼 AI keyword suggestions

International media database size

If you're looking for international media contacts, don't just look at the total number of media contacts available—find out how many are in the regions, countries or cities that you're interested in.

Some databases may have a large international media contact list, but the quality and quantity of the contacts can vary from region to region. If possible, ask about the number of contacts in the location you're interested in or find out if there's a free trial to have a look for yourself.

Available contact information

At the very least, a media contacts database should contain basic information about the media contact that lets you identify if they would be interested in your story and how you can contact them. These include:

• name and surname
• position
• email address
• phone number
• beat/topics covered
• media outlet
• social media accounts

More advanced databases will contain additional information such as:

• languages used in the case of multi-lingual journalists
• influence score or similar metric
• what articles they've recently written
• suggestions for new contacts generated by the system based on similar criteria, which you have followed so far

Accuracy and update frequency

Even if a media database checks all the boxes above, it can leave you frustrated if the media contact information is outdated or inaccurate.

In order to figure this out, it's worth asking these two crucial questions:

• How frequently the database is updated?
• What is/are the sources of the available media contacts?

Media contact information can be sourced from one channel or from various locations on the web. If possible, look for a database that gathers data from multiple sources.

For example, Muck Rack uses only Twitter to generate its media contacts. The downside – if the journalist is not on Twitter or doesn't update their profile, they may not be in the database or their information may be incorrect. This is a thing to keep in mind since more and more journalists are switching to Twitter alternatives.

Available search filters

As a journalist database can contain a lot of contacts, check what are the options for narrowing down your search in order to find the most relevant journalists. For example you can:

• search media outlets where your target audience is and then check contributing journalists
• search articles with keywords (expanded with AI keyword suggestions) and get contacts to the authors

The most common filters are:

• journalist's name
• location
• beat or topics of interest
• media outlet
• position/role
• keywords based on written articles
• keywords based on Tweets

Make it easier to find journalists and build relationships with highly targeted contacts — learn everything about using Audience Analytics and AI Keyword research from this article.

Media database sample or free trial

Absolutely make sure that the media database tool you're interested in offers a sample of the available contacts—or better yet, a free trial. Blindly buying media lists or contacts can lead to wasted time and money.

Most providers will provide a sample on request or display available contacts during a product demo. This is better than nothing, but it doesn't always give you the full picture and can leave you wondering if you'll find the right contacts.

If possible, find out if the media database provider offers a free trial. This lets you explore the application and see if it meets your needs.

Prowly offers a free 7-day trial with full search access. Contact details are hidden, but it allows you to see which contacts are available to be confident in your decision before purchasing.

Pricing & contract length

Media databases usually aren't cheap and some are only available with annual subscriptions. There is no free media database, but there are a few tools with free trials and free pitch credits.

Unless your PR budget is unlimited, take into account the following factors when doing your research:

• Compare media database pricing for different providers, keeping in mind that more $$$ does not always mean creating your own media list and making it exceptional
• Flexibility—does the vendor offer various plans depending on your needs and the size of your team (especially if you're a freelancer or small business), so you can adjust your PR strategy later
• Check what the minimum length is for a contract; some companies require you to pay upfront for a whole year

Unfortunately, most of the pricing plans for top media databases are not publicly available on their websites, but their subscription costs are estimated to start at around $400 per month or $5000 per year.

We were able to provide estimated pricing for the most popular databases based on third-party data and publicly available reviews.

Other media database pricing

Unfortunately, it's unknown how much the other databases cost. They do not disclose their pricing and require potential users to contact their sales teams. But pricing plans will depend on the number of users and features required.

💡 If you need even more details, check out this article featuring examples of Prowly alternatives. You can also simply ask us anything you'd like to know!

Questions to ask the media database provider

Even if you think that a chosen media database matches all your expectations, it’s better to ask the following questions before investing your time and money in it:

How is the media contact base relevant to the industry the customer works in?

When reviewing the size of a database, it's important to determine the number of relevant contacts. For example, the quantity of contacts that specialize in your industry topics. The sales team should provide you with custom research and showcase a possible media list based on your specific query.

💡 Learn how to create effective media monitoring queries from this article based on real-life examples.

What’s the number of unique contacts in the media database? 

The provider should be able to showcase the diversity of media types, such as journalists and bloggers, as well as their location and other filters that you can use on the platform.

Is it possible for customers to add necessary media contacts to the media database, such as specific journalists, influencers or outlets? 

It should be possible but may require a request to the customer support team.

What type of customer support is provided? 

Ask what the customer support process looks like - will the customer support team help you with ongoing questions on the platform or is there any training program offered? Ensure that the company is willing to guide you through the setup and provide prompt solutions to any questions that may arise.

Is it possible to export your contact lists?

It should be possible to download your list in CSV, XLS, or XLSX formats. 

Is it possible to create a personalized pitch right on the platform?

You should be able to tailor your email pitches to different recipients based on factors such as your relationship with them, their location, or their area of expertise simply by incorporating these details into your messages.

Does the platform have enough functionality to manage media contact lists?

You should be able to have different access levels for your team to work with, to add your own notes and tag contacts, to follow chosen journalists and receive notifications when they publish new articles, etc.

List of media databases for PR

Below you can find a list of the major media databases with US & global media contacts:

• Prowly
• Meltwater
• Muck Rack
• Cision
• Propel
• Agility PR
• Roxhill
• Critical Mention
• Notified

Looking for UK or Australian media contacts? Check out the comparison of UK media databases and Australian media databases respectively.

PR Trends 2025

Get our ultimate guide to what’s next in PR with expert-backed tips

Buying a media list or a media database – what's the difference?

You might wonder whether it's better to buy a media list or a media database or what the difference is between the two.

A media list is what it sounds like—a concrete list with media contacts, often narrowed down to a specific industry and/or location.

On the other hand, a media database gives you access to every single media contact and media outlet available (as long as they're in the database).

The upside to buying a media list is that it's already made and waiting to be used. You don't have to put in a lot of effort.

The downside, however, is that it can be outdated, inaccurate, or, most commonly, poorly customized for your specific needs.

A media database helps you to find the most relevant contacts for your story and make your own targeted media list. This greatly increases your chances of getting your story noticed and picked up by the media because you're reaching out to people who are waiting for a story like yours.

My go-to PR tools are online media databases and journalist source request platforms. It can be difficult to keep track of current journalists or media professionals' contact information, so online media databases like Prowly or Cision help connect with the right person for the right article on your clients' behalf. Using these helpful PR tools is key to advancing in the industry and making the most of every opportunity. - Brandi Sims, Founder & CEO @ Brandinc PR

💡 Tip: To get to know the top magazines to pitch in the US market, explore this article.

Conclusion

Choosing a media database can be frustrating, mainly because there are so many and the majority require you to talk with sales to get a sample of the available contacts.

Start by figuring out what exactly you're trying to achieve with a media database and what kind of contacts you're trying to find. Once you have that written down, look for providers that offer a free sample or trial to get an idea of the quality and accuracy of the database.

Frequently asked questions

1. What should I look for when choosing a media database?

When selecting a media database, consider the following factors:

• Relevance: Ensure the database includes contacts pertinent to your industry and target audience.
• Accuracy: The database should be regularly updated to maintain current contact information.
• Functionality: Look for features like advanced search filters, integration with PR tools, and analytics capabilities.
• Support: Reliable customer service and training resources can enhance your experience.

2. How does a media database differ from a media list?

A comprehensive, searchable media database contains many media contacts, including journalists, editors, and influencers. It allows users to build customized media lists tailored to specific campaigns or audiences. In contrast, a media list is a static compilation of contacts, often lacking the dynamic features and regular updates provided by a media database.

3. Are media databases suitable for small businesses or freelancers?

Yes, many media databases accommodate various needs and budgets. Some platforms provide flexible subscription models or pay-as-you-go options, making them accessible for smaller operations. Additionally, certain databases focus on specific regions or industries, allowing users to target their outreach effectively without unnecessary expenses.

The post Best Media Database in 2025: Top 9 Tools for PR Pros appeared first on Prowly.

Unfortunately, Muck Rack pricing is impossible to find on their website. Based on research and user reviews, though, we estimated its cost.

Given that you're Googling their pricing, you probably want to buy a powerful PR software platform without straining your budget. Naturally, we want to help you find the answer to your question and introduce Prowly as a smart alternative. Ready when you are.

Muck Rack pricing

Unfortunately, Muck Rack doesn’t publicly display their pricing. Despite having plans shown on their page, pricing is undisclosed, and you're required to contact a Muck Rack representative for more details.

However, based on our data and third-party sources, we estimate that Muck Rack costs an average of $15,000 annually.

Key takeaways:

• For a basic, 1-user subscription, expect to pay around $5,000 per year and up.
• The average price of a Muck Rack subscription is around $15,000 per year.
• The most expensive Muck Rack plans can cost $50,000 per year—or more.
• More affordable alternatives, like Prowly, start at $258/per month.

The final cost will mainly depend on the number of seats, features, limits, and how well you negotiate.

What Muck Rack customers are saying

Based on our research and third-party websites, we've estimated the costs of Muck Rack based on recent data.

Here's what real people are saying about how much they pay in 2025 on Reddit.

One user mentions paying $25,000 per year for 5 users and another claims he pays an eye-watering $53,000 per year for 7-9 users.

Other users mention lower prices around $10,000 for subscriptions with fewer seats, with one user even claiming he was quoted $5k for a basic, one-seat plan.

Ultimately, pricing will greatly vary depending on the type of plan you choose. While the most basic plan seems to start at $5,000, users have mentioned paying 10-fold for more advanced plans.

With plans not being transparent and users claiming discounts and negotiating down prices, it can be frustrating to know if you're not overpaying for the service.

Compare Muck Rack to alternatives

If you’re keeping your options open, Muck Rack alternatives offer the same features, such as media monitoring, media databases, PR outreach, and more.

Prowly

Prowly starts from $258/month billed annually and offers an all-in-one PR tool, an extensive media contacts database, and similar features to Muck Rack. Users can select monthly or yearly subscriptions or try the platform for free with a 7-day trial.

Cision

More expensive tools like Cision can cost over $10,000/year. These numbers are based on annual plans, so if you’re looking for a monthly subscription (which is most likely unavailable), expect to pay extra.

The difference between Muck Rack and its competitors can be found mainly in their pricing, media database quality, additional features, and customer support. In another post, we've covered a more in-depth comparison of Muck Rack vs. Cision vs. Prowly.

How does Muck Rack compare to Prowly?

The main difference is in the pricing plans – Prowly offers flexible pricing plans to suit any organization, whether big or small. Depending on the features you're after, Prowly might be a better choice if you don't want to spend too much on PR software.

The post Muck Rack Pricing in 2025 – How Much Does it Cost? [+ Muck Rack Alternatives] appeared first on Prowly.

Leveraging AI-powered analytics, Talkwalker provides insights into brand perception, consumer sentiment, market trends, and campaign performance, helping businesses make data-driven decisions.

Unfortunately, Talkwalker's pricing is impossible to find on their website. Based on research and user reviews, though, we estimated how much it costs.

Given that you're Googling their pricing, you probably want to buy a powerful PR software platform without straining your budget. Naturally, we want to help you find the answer to your question and introduce Prowly as a smart alternative. Ready when you are.

Talkwalker pricing and plans

Based on our research and estimates, Talkwalker pricing starts between $1,200 and $9,600 per year.

Unfortunately, Talkwalker's pricing is not publicly available. Their pricing page only shows their 4 plans (called packages), with undisclosed costs, and a contact form to obtain a quote.

It's also unknown if Talkwalker offers monthly plans. Only yearly subscriptions are likely available, which is common in the PR software industry.

Packages explained

Talkwalker offers four main subscription levels: Listen, Analyze, Business, and Premium. These tiers provide different sets of features and varying capacities for data analysis, allowing businesses to choose a plan that aligns with their specific requirements.

• The Listen package serves as an entry-level option, providing core social listening and media monitoring features suitable for organizations starting their monitoring efforts.  
• The Analyze plan builds upon this by adding social benchmarking capabilities and a larger data volume, making it a popular choice for those seeking deeper insights.  
• The Business package is designed for enterprise-grade consumer intelligence, offering a significantly increased data volume and features tailored for strategic initiatives and scalability across teams.  
• The Premium plan represents the most comprehensive offering, with the highest data volume and advanced AI capabilities for transformative business impact.  

Each tier includes unlimited users and access to Talkwalker's Blue Silk™ AI, with increasing data volume levels and feature sophistication as you move up the tiers.

Some third-party websites mention the existence of a Basic package, starting at an even lower price. However, it's unknown if this is a discontinued plan or is still available.

Despite having four different subscription tiers on their pricing page, Talkwalker likely offers customized quotes tailored to specific business needs.

Ultimately, the cost can depend on factors like the volume of data being analyzed, the specific features required, and how well you negotiate your final price.

Pricing estimates

Unfortunately, there isn't much data available online about Talkwalker's pricing. Many software review websites cite prices varying from $1,200 and around $10,000, while others say that the starting price is closer to the latter figure.

There is a big discrepancy between plans, with some websites citing even $20,000 per year for the enterprise-level plans.

A review from 2017 cites paying under $10,000 for Talkwalker. However, as of 2025, this number may be much higher and likely similar to other PR software platforms.

Talkwalker alternatives

If you’re keeping your options open for other media monitoring tools, Talkwalker's competitors offer similar features, such as media monitoring, media database, PR outreach, reporting, and more.

Similarly, many tools, like Talkwalker, don't show their pricing on their websites, making you wonder how much media monitoring costs.

If you're looking for an alternative with transparent pricing, Prowly offers media monitoring, a robust media database, and more, starting at $258/month.

Here are the top 5 Talkwalker alternatives:

• Prowly
• Meltwater
• Cision
• Muck Rack
• Agility PR

Prowly

💸 Pricing: Transparent, starts at $258 per month

Prowly is more than just a media monitoring tool—it’s your all-in-one PR platform for managing every stage of the PR workflow.

From media outreach and journalist discovery to monitoring coverage and tracking backlinks, it’s tailored for PR professionals who want maximum impact with fewer tools.

Meltwater

💸 Pricing: Custom pricing

Meltwater is a global media monitoring and intelligence tool that provides in-depth insights across news, social media, and broadcast channels.

Media monitoring features include real-time alerts, AI-driven sentiment analysis, social listening, and competitive benchmarking. It also offers a vast media database with journalist contacts, press release distribution, and advanced analytics to measure PR impact.

Cision

💸 Pricing: Custom pricing

Cision is a leading media monitoring and PR platform in the US with extensive global coverage, offering powerful tools for tracking media impact and managing press outreach.

Media monitoring features include real-time news alerts, AI-powered sentiment analysis, social media tracking, and broadcast monitoring. It also has a vast media database with journalist contacts, press release distribution, and a PR CRM for campaign management.

Conclusion

Talkwalker’s plans can run anywhere from about $1,200 to $9,600 a year, and possibly even more depending on the features and number of users.

To get an exact quote, it's best to get in touch with their team by filling out the contact form on their pricing page.

If you’d rather skip the mystery quotes and start monitoring your brand today, Prowly gives you the same core features (plus a full PR toolkit) with crystal-clear pricing that starts at $258 per month and a no-risk 7-day free trial.

The post Talkwalker Pricing and Alternatives Explained (2025) appeared first on Prowly.

Beyond monitoring, the platform offers real-time alerts, comprehensive analytics, and practical tools for clipping, sharing, and reporting on media coverage. It also features an integrated media database.

Unfortunately, Critical Mention's pricing is impossible to find on their website. Based on research and user reviews, though, we estimated how much it costs.

Given that you're Googling their pricing, you probably want to buy a powerful PR software platform without straining your budget. Naturally, we want to help you find the answer to your question and introduce Prowly as a smart alternative. Ready when you are.

Critical Mention pricing and plans

Based on our research and estimates, Critical Mention costs between $2,500 and $10,000 per year.

Unfortunately, Critical Mention’s pricing and plans are not publicly available. Their pricing page shows only a contact form and basic information about their packages.

Their pricing page suggests that Critical Mention doesn’t have fixed plans and that each package is custom-tailored to your needs. This likely means the pricing can vary, making it difficult to estimate the final cost—and know if you're getting a good deal.

It's also unknown if Critical Mention offers monthly plans. It's likely that only yearly subscriptions are available, which is common in the PR software industry.

One Reddit user mentioned paying $6,000 per year for broadcast monitoring, citing that the cost seemed high.

Another user cited paying only $2,500/yr, but someone commented that he was quoted a much higher price, even as an NGO.

Based on other sources online, some users have mentioned they pay upwards of $10,000 per year.

Ultimately, Critical Mention’s pricing may depend on your chosen features, the number of users, and how well you negotiate your final price.

Critical Mention alternatives

If you’re keeping your options open for other media monitoring tools, Critical Mention's competitors offer similar features, such as media monitoring, media database, PR outreach, reporting, and more.

Similarly, many tools, like Critical Mention, don't show their pricing on their websites, making you wonder how much media monitoring costs.

If you're looking for an alternative with transparent pricing, Prowly offers media monitoring, a robust media database, and more, starting at $258/month.

Here are the top 5 Critical Mention alternatives:

• Prowly
• Meltwater
• Cision
• Muck Rack
• Agility PR

Prowly

💸 Pricing: Transparent, starts at $258 per month

Prowly is more than just a media monitoring tool—it’s your all-in-one PR platform for managing every stage of the PR workflow.

From media outreach and journalist discovery to monitoring coverage and tracking backlinks, it’s tailored for PR professionals who want maximum impact with fewer tools.

Meltwater

💸 Pricing: Custom pricing

Meltwater is a global media monitoring and intelligence tool that provides in-depth insights across news, social media, and broadcast channels.

Media monitoring features include real-time alerts, AI-driven sentiment analysis, social listening, and competitive benchmarking. It also offers a vast media database with journalist contacts, press release distribution, and advanced analytics to measure PR impact.

Cision

💸 Pricing: Custom pricing

Cision is a leading media monitoring and PR platform in the US with extensive global coverage, offering powerful tools for tracking media impact and managing press outreach.

Media monitoring features include real-time news alerts, AI-powered sentiment analysis, social media tracking, and broadcast monitoring. It also has a vast media database with journalist contacts, press release distribution, and a PR CRM for campaign management.

Conclusion

Critical Mention’s plans can run anywhere from about $2,500 to $10,000 a year—and possibly even more depending on the features and number of users.

To get an exact quote, it's best to get in touch with their team by filling out the contact form on their pricing page.

If you’d rather skip the mystery quotes and start monitoring your brand today, Prowly gives you the same core features (plus a full PR toolkit) with crystal-clear pricing that starts at $258 per month and a no-risk 7-day free trial.

The post Critical Mention Pricing and Alternatives Explained (2025) appeared first on Prowly.

This guide shows you how to write a press release that grabs attention, gets media coverage, and reaches your target audience to increase brand awareness.

At the end, you'll find some examples of new product launch press releases to help spark ideas.

Looking to create a new product press release?

Use Prowly's AI press release generator or templates that you can use for free to easily create your own in a format that journalists expect to receive.

Prowly also lets you find relevant journalists and send out your press release to them directly from the platform.

How to write a press release for a product

Writing and pitching a press release for a product launch follows the same principles as any effective PR piece. Here are a few key things to remember:

• Keep the standard press release format
• Pitch to relevant journalists & bloggers interested in your topic/industry.
• Establish a human connection with journalists
• Do not send your press release to everybody–personalize your outreach

Here are 5 tips for writing an effective announcement for your product launch

1. Stick to a standard format

Include the following in your press release:

• Headline: An attention-grabbing headline about your product. Make it count!
• Lead: A brief overview of the story, including answers to the questions: Who? What? When? Why? With what effect?
• Dateline: To confirm that you’re providing the most up-to-date information
• Body: An explanation of the information provided earlier in the lead, the first paragraph should include the most newsworthy information about your product and finish with secondary details
• Company details: A short paragraph including your company name, spokespeople, and background information on your company and its products to help journalists understand the nature of the business and make writing about it easier, this is your company's boilerplate
• Media contact information: The author's or company’s/agency’s contact information

👉 Want to make your press releases look better? Check out these articles: “How to Design a Press Release (w/ Tips & Examples)“ and "A New Way to Make Media Briefings More Engaging".

2. Find journalists interested in your new product

To get media attention, it's important to pitch your announcement to the right journalists and bloggers - those who cover your type of product and can help bring it to the spotlight.

An easy way to find relevant media outlets interested in your product is by using a media contacts database, which also include a journalist’s contact details so you can get in touch.

You can refine your search by filtering where a journalist is located, or what topics/industries they cover.

PR tools like Prowly can suggest relevant media contacts based on your launch announcement.

This is far more effective than the "spray and pray" approach used by many distribution services, hoping for random interest.

If you're using a tool like Prowly, the quickest way to identify relevant journalists is by using the keyword search. Simply enter keywords related to your product or industry, and you'll find a list of reporters that wrote about similar products in the past.

Media lists often have an extensive list of topics that journalists are focused on, ranging from beer or cosmetics to cloud computing.

If you have a bit of time, it's worth doing some more in-depth research.

For example, if you’re writing a press release for a new product line of natural beauty products or cosmetics, check which journalists you found are actually interested in natural and organic products, and not just cosmetics in general. It’ll improve the chances of your product press release getting picked up and published.

And don’t forget to follow up.

3. Write a press release headline that grabs attention

The headline of your press release (and also the subject of your media pitch email) is crucial to getting your press release read or even email opened.

I recommend spending a bit more time on it and making sure it’s attention-grabbing and mentions your main points, i.e. your product’s USP (unique selling proposition).

Add exciting features and benefits that'll make people stop what they're doing and read what your product has to offer. Try including numbers in your headline/pitch subject line – they're proven to improve open rates.

Remember – your headline needs something that'll get your audience's news outlets intrigued. Stay away from boring titles such as [Company] Launches "New Product" or [Company] Stakeholders Profit.

If readers are asking themselves "So what?", then you're doing it wrong.

4. Focus on the unique features and benefits of your product

It doesn’t make sense to write a news story about a product that seems just like every other, does it?

Focus on making your product stand out from the rest by emphasizing its unique features and benefits. Depending on your product and target audience, you’ll want to focus more on one or the other.

If you’re targeting a very particular and specific audience, especially in the B2B or small business sector, it can be a better idea to focus on the technical features of your product. Stick to the point and mention the objectively superior qualities of your product.

Otherwise, it’s best to bring attention to your product by showcasing how it’ll benefit your customers and improve their day-to-day lives. Think about how using your product can be easier, simpler, or more enjoyable than what the competition has to offer.

Here’s a list of questions to help you create a winning product press release that’s more beneficial for journalists:

• Why is it worth writing about this particular product?
• What are its unique features?
• How will it contribute to the consumers’ lives?
• What makes it different from other products?
• Can you somehow compare it to the products offered by your competitors?
• Does your product come in different varieties and sizes?
• Is there a formal product launch event?

5. Be visual - use high-quality photos and videos to showcase your product or service

Adding images and videos to your product announcement is essential for getting noticed and gaining media attention. 

Visuals make your product stand out, whether it’s photos, videos, logos, or even animated GIFs.

However, avoid sending attachments. Large files can clutter journalists' inboxes and make your email harder to open.

But what if you want to include high-quality images or videos to make your product stand out more to the press?

Instead, try this approach:

• Create visuals with press release software like Prowly or WordPress.
• Embed your media directly into the release, including product photos, videos, and other rich content.
• Optionally, post it to your brand’s newsroom for easy access.
• Share the press release via a link, allowing you to track opens and clicks.

💡If you're seeking more exposure for your press release, explore these 10 ideas on how to effectively promote a press release.

Create a new product press release with AI

AI-powered tools for PR can help you create high-quality press release drafts, provide advanced editing suggestions, and even recommend who to send your press release to.

While it's worth knowing how to create an effective press release from scratch, using tools can help speed up the process and ensure you've ticked all the boxes regarding the format and content that journalists expect to receive.

Read more: Mastering AI Press Releases: Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Sending + Practical Examples

Here’s how to create (and send) a new product press release using a tool like Prowly’s AI-powered Press Release Generator.

Step 1: Enter basic details about your press release

1. Start the process by entering the type of your press release.
2. Once you select the type, Prowly's AI will ask you to pick your target audience. There are predefined options, such as industry players, customers, or local communities, but you can also add your own.
3. Choose the language of your press release draft.

Step 2: Enter key messages of your new product press release

Here, you'll want to be as specific as possible and ensure that whatever you choose is the most relevant information about your new product announcement.

You can use the list of questions provided in the "How to write" section of this guide to help you get started.

Here are three examples of key messages that you can provide for your new product press release:

• The Problem Solved: Clearly articulate the specific issue or need that your product addresses. Demonstrate how it provides a solution that is superior to existing alternatives.
• The Unique Value Proposition: Highlight the unique features and benefits that differentiate your product from competitors. Explain why customers should choose your product over others.
• The Target Audience and Benefits: Identify the specific group of people who will benefit most from your product. Clearly articulate the advantages and value they will gain by using it.

Step 3: Answer the follow-up questions

Once you’ve entered the basic information about your new product press release, Prowly’s AI will ask you more in-depth questions designed to mirror a natural conversation with the journalists you’re targeting.

You’ll receive ten questions tailored specifically to the content you shared earlier. This will complete your press release draft and reduce the need to answer many follow-up questions from the person you're pitching to.

Step 4: Customize and edit the press release draft

Whether you've generated a press release draft or written it yourself, you can adjust header font styles, fine-tune the content just like you would in a regular text editor, adjust your press release length, and cater it into a format you're happy with.

An AI Assistant trained in PR writing best practices reviews the draft and suggests improvements based on 11 key criteria, indicating exactly where to edit.

Step 5: Get contact recommendations for your press release

Prowly’s AI will start suggesting journalists you can pitch to based on the keywords found in your press release.

As long as you have contact information for the people you want to pitch to, you can always do deeper work and find out about what kind of products they've covered before, or what they're writing about at the moment.

New product press release examples

Below you'll find 4 different types of new product announcements examples to inspire you to create your own.

Each press release was created with Prowly's Creator, which lets you easily create visual pr pieces (great for showing off your product!) with drag & drop elements and add photos, videos, call-to-action buttons, and social media threads to your press release.

Feature launch press release example

New product press release example 

Book launch press release example

Get to know more about why this example of a book launch press release is well-crafted from the dedicated guide "How to Write a Book Press Release (Example and Template)."

New product line press release example

Cosmetics product launch press release example

Food product press release example

New product press release template

If you’re looking for a way to speed up the press release creation process, Prowly has multiple templates that you can use inside the platform, including one for a new product launch.

The templates include all the most important elements to make sure your story gets noticed by journalists and results in media coverage.

Prowly also lets you find relevant journalists for your product launch and send out your press release directly from the platform.

Ready to create a product launch press release?

By now you should know the basics of creating an effective product press release and new product announcement as well as pitching it successfully. To sum up, every product launch press release should contain:

• An attractive headline that features unique benefits & features of your product
• The standard elements of a press release: headline, dateline, lead, body, company info, media contact information
• A specific audience that it’s targeted to and the news articles they read
• Information on why your product is worth talking about and why anyone should be excited about it
• Attractive photos and/or videos of your product added directly to the press release (if possible, avoid attachments!)

The post New Product Press Release Writing Guide (Examples & Template) appeared first on Prowly.

Almost always, a media pitch is done by email, but it’s also possible to do it via social platforms, telephone, or traditional mail.

Although pitching journalists is similar to sending a press release, the key difference is that a media pitch does not have to include one. A simple email is a faster way to reach out; time is always of the essence, especially in reactive and digital PR.

In this post, you'll learn how to write an effective media pitch and find 7 practical examples from PR professionals.

If you're looking to send a PR pitch, you can try Prowly's free 7-day trial. Find relevant journalists, gain access to useful templates, and send personalized pitches at scale—all from one tool.

Before you write a media pitch

Before you begin: Journalists and editors are flooded with press releases, media pitches, and various other demands on their time and attention.

Based on research from Fractl, 46.5% of journalists receive at least 11 media pitches per day, while 28.64% receive over 26 pitches per day.

Knowing what to include in your media pitch—and what to leave out—will greatly improve your chances of getting a reply. Keep in mind, even a single typo in a cold pitch is enough to turn possibility into disaster.

How to write a media pitch

If you've written any type of email pitch before, you'll quickly realize that writing a media pitch is similar. There are, however, a few key differences that you have to keep in mind.

We've broken down writing a PR pitch into 7, easy-to-follow steps:

1. Make sure your story is newsworthy

It’s all in the subject line. If you want to get someone to cover your story, it’s worth asking yourself these two questions before you even think about pitching the media outlet:

• Is my news actually newsworthy?
• Is my news presented in an exciting way that will get people interested?

The best pitch emails answer these questions with a resounding, “yes!” If not, it might be worth waiting until you have something that is actually newsworthy.

Also, when crafting a press release that you might send in a pitch, it is vital to take into account your target audience and the preferences of journalists from the outset.

For example, outstanding book press releases give readers an enticing glimpse of what lies ahead, avoiding spoilers, while sports journalists need short, "twittable" quotes and a set of statements from athletes.

Otherwise, you could make a bad first impression with the media contacts you send your press release to.

What makes a newsworthy story? According to socialmediasydney.net.au, you should consider the following:

• Is the story new and current?
• Does it feature an element of prominence?
• Does it evoke an emotional response?
• Will your story affect or have an impact on certain people?
• Is your story relevant to the area/publication you are pitching it to?

Amber Mac, entrepreneur, and bestselling author sums this up perfectly:

The fact that your company exists or your CEO will be in town does not make a story.

2. Make sure you're pitching relevant media contacts

Before writing your media pitch, you should first find relevant media contacts to prepare a media list, which is a list of people who could be interested in covering your story. In addition to journalists, this could include social media personalities on Linkedin, influencers, bloggers, podcast hosts, and even other PR Professionals.

In the media, individual journalists have their own specializations (referred to as a "beat"). Instead of sending your pitch to the general email address of a news outlet, it is best to address it to the person most relevant to the subject you’re writing about. In other words: make sure you're knocking on the right doors before you start knocking.

If you're using a tool like Prowly, you can identify relevant journalists by searching through the media database and using filters such as keywords in recent articles, industry, or location.

Prowly enhances contact searches with unique features:
👉🏼 Partnership with Semrush provides exclusive data on audience and traffic.
👉🏼 AI keyword suggestions expand search possibilities, opening new coverage opportunities and targeting niche topics.

Now you can also go to the keyword search tab to discover new keywords that could be interesting for journalists thanks to AI suggesting:

• Go to the “Keyword search” tab and follow AI suggestions - start with your main keyword (product category): “smartwatch” and then follow AI suggestions for related keywords and choose those that fit to your story angle (fitness or health) or be inspired with keyword ideas to give a twist to your pitch.
• Narrow down your search - check articles or tweets, or both; only from last week or last month, only from online media outlets from the USA or only those posted on blogs.
• Check the publishing frequency - how many times a particular journalist published an article containing your keyword.

It’s like having a brainstorming buddy, coming up with pitching angles and journalists who might be interested in this topic.

👉🏼 Result? A short list of contacts to journalists to have been recently writing about a very particular topic, with easily accessible recent articles in the results to quickly scan them.

Make it easier to find journalists and build relationships with highly targeted contacts — learn everything about using Audience Analytics and AI Keyword research from this article.

Example: If you're a small business or startup that's launching a new product and you're reaching out to a magazine like WIRED, Forbes, or the New York Times, you'll find out that every reporter there has their own specialization, such as drones, cell phones, or cloud computing. In this case, the right thing to do would be to reach out to the person that writes about products like yours, instead of pitching to someone that generally covers technology.

3. Write your subject line

When writing a media pitch subject line you want to keep in mind that this is your big first impression, this is the first thing your selected journalists will see and you want it to make a mark and get your email opened.

So remember these simple rules: 

Keep things clear

Simply put, be sure to say it is a pitch. You don’t want to hide your email behind flowery language and get your pitch lost in a journalist’s already overflowing inbox. So put the name right on the label to keep your intent clear and your pitch easy to find.

Keep things short

You might be tempted to dress up the subject line with extra buzzwords and enhancing language. I mean what’s even better than a new product? An exciting new product, of course! But the subject line is simply not the place for it. A good guideline to keep in mind is you want to keep your subject line under 49 characters, total. Doing so is proven to boost your open rates and more.

Here are a few quick media pitch subject line examples:

• Pitch: Interview: Therapist and Entrepreneur on How to Manage Everyday Stress
• Pitch: 83% of cold pitches are irrelevant and ignored, journalists say
• Pitch: Why You Need To Stop Wearing Your Cell Phone In Your Pocket

👉🏼 For a more detailed guide, here’s everything you need to know about writing an exceptional pitch subject line.

💡 Tip: Let AI suggest you a few email subject lines

Instead of waiting for the perfect idea to come to you, try using AI to get past writer's block. With Prowly's AI Assistant, you can explore a few suggested email topics and shape them further until they feel just right.

4. Grab their attention early on

Let’s start at the very beginning, the address line.

You want to address your pitch as precisely as you can, ideally with your journalist’s name and professional titles. If you’re using a media contact database this information should be in easy reach. “To whom it may concern,” may have floated you once or twice, but it’s a poor beginning to establishing meaningful relationships with your chosen journalists. That personal touch can work wonders.

This is also a good moment to double-check your chosen journalist's beat, or their field of expertise, to be absolutely sure you’re pitching to the right person. Once you have that checked off the list, what next?

Get straight to the point

Your journalist is going to want to know the big W’s: Who, What, When, Where, and Why?

So it’s best to put these right up front. These should make up the content of your opening paragraph so the journalist can be sure that your news covers their and your audiences’ interests. This is best encapsulated in a compelling lead that includes your trending topic and your timeframe. Remember, there’s no news like fresh news.

Offer an appealing angle

By providing journalists with different options for how to cover a story, you increase the chances that they will find an angle that fits their publication's style and target audience, and thus you’ll be more likely to gain press coverage.

Aleksandra Kubicka, PR consultant at Prowly, recommends:

5. Write an email that connects

You want to write content that the journalist can see will resonate with their readers. You want to make sure that you and the journalist are on the same page, and that the journalist has ready angles that they can use to frame your story to their readers.

Trust us when we say that journalists love it when PRs do some of their work for them.

But there are a few things that you can do to make sure your news really stands out amongst media pitches:

Give them expert sources

What did we say about doing the journalist's work for them? Your chosen journalist may well have their own expert sources in mind, but the more the merrier! You may even find a few that are truly unique to your article, such as academic experts or a CEO, that can grant your story extra strength.

Send them relevant links

Generally speaking, you don’t want to bog down your pitch with excessive graphs and data, but you can still include these with carefully chosen external links related to your news. This can increase reader engagement and enhance your credibility, both with your journalist and their audience.

Tell them what you’re offering

You’ve already gone through the trouble of hand-picking what journalist and news outlet to pitch, so why not share why you chose them? Mentioning your criteria and why you chose to pitch them exclusively can help personalize your pitch and reinforce your relationship.

💡 Tip: get AI suggestions to enhance the message of your email...

Prowly’s AI-powered inline editor can assist you in refining your emails by suggesting edits and improvements to your sentences, helping you craft more compelling and polished messages.

...or let AI draft an email for you, then refine it with your personal touch

With Prowly AI, you can create email drafts in a matter of seconds that you can personalize, edit and make sure that they reflect your story.

However, every draft generated by AI requires improvements and editing. Make sure to double check the core messages, and add a human touch.

6. Make your call to action

A carefully crafted call to action is an absolute must. Ideally, you want to express why this story matters, how it is relevant to your journalist’s readers, and reinforce your timing. This is your moment to keep things focused on your audience, your journalist, and their readers.

7. Conclude your media pitch

Your conclusion should be a boiled-down summary of your pitch but presented in reverse. You can begin by restating your call to action in a fresh and unique way, adding any last relevant data or links that the journalist might find useful, and finally thanking your media contact for their valuable time. Remember to use a unique and polite sign-off and, finally…

End on your boilerplate

You know what this is. In the end, you want an easy and accessible summary of all your essentials. Your contact details, your background, why you’re the perfect person to pitch this news, and any professional achievements relevant to your pitch and your news.

8. Double-check and refine

When preparing your email campaign, Prowly gives you an extra layer of support at every step, helping you avoid mistakes that could result in missed coverage opportunities. Our review flow covers 18 key criteria—many of which you might already be familiar with from Prowly, but now organized in a way that’s more intuitive and easier to follow.

While most of these checks are straightforward, we’ve added a touch of AI magic to assist you where it matters most:

• If your subject line is a bit too long, we’ll help you shorten it with a quick AI-generated suggestion. ✨
• If you’re missing a preview line, we’ve got you covered with an AI-powered prompt to create one for you. ✨

These little nudges ensure your email is polished and ready for prime time, maximizing your chances of getting the attention your message deserves.

7 media pitch examples from PR experts

Below you will find the best PR pitch examples shared by actual PR experts demonstrating just how to write a pitch to a journalist. Some information has been blanked out for privacy reasons surrounding previous works.

The following media pitch letter examples were re-created in Prowly, where you can find relevant media contacts and effectively send email pitches with personalization and analytics to help promote your PR strategy.

Media pitch example #1

Rudi Davis, Chief Operating Officer @ NetPositiveAgency

The first media pitch example is from Rudi, COO of NetPositiveAgency.

Rudi leverages the expertise of his client and offers expert insights on the topic that the reporter covers.

Instead of proposing just one topic, Rudi gives the pitch recipient to choose from three in-depth topics, increasing the chance of success.

Email pitch example #2

Mary Brynn Millburn, Senior Public Relations Coordinator @ Idea Grove

This news story pitch example from Mary Brynn Millburn shows the importance of a good value proposition. Take note of how the reporter is offered expert commentary and fresh information from the CEO of the company hoping to get coverage.

PR pitch example #3

Sarah Jenne, PR Specialist @ Idea Grove

In Sarah's PR pitch email example, she takes advantage of the fact that she's previously connected with this specific reporter, reminding him/her of their already established relationship.

Media pitch example #4

Ana Casic, responsible for media relations and PR @ TalentLMS

Ana Casic from TalentLMS send us this press release pitch email example on remote work. She started the conversation by mentioning already published articles on the same topic, and offered new & original research (offering value!) that could be used for a new post.

PR pitch example #5

Matthew Zajechowski, Outreach Team Lead and Content Marketing Promotions Specialist @ Digital Third Coast Internet Marketing

Similar to the previous example, Matthew's media pitching is another example of giving value by offering an original report on a topic that was newsworthy at the time.

The results? Over 250+ unique placements all who’ve linked back to this page for this campaign using this specific pitch.

Email pitch example #6

Corinne McCarthy, SEO & Online PR Specialist @ Web Talent Marketing

Here is a media pitch letter example that earned a placement on CNBC’s website (cnbc.com) for a client of Web Talent Marketing.

The writer we pitched ended up connecting us with a reporter at CNBC. The reporter interviewed our client’s Content Manager. A few weeks later, CNBC published a feature article about the career path we pitched and quoted our client throughout the article.

Corinne added that the key elements of this pitch are:

• Addresses the writer by name twice so he/she knows this is not an automated email.
• Mentions a recent article that relates to the topic you’re pitching.
• Includes a brief description of the angle you’re pitching and why it’s relevant to the publication.

Media pitch example #7

Rachel Nelson, Public Relations & Events Manager at Margaux Agency

The last media pitch example from Rachel Nelson offers value by offering valuable content that could be useful for a new article that's not only original but also exclusive.

You can gain access to Prowly’s own media pitch templates for more guidance and inspiration from story pitch examples for journalism down to email subject lines.

How to follow up on your media pitch effectively

Even if you did everything correctly, there's a chance you won't get a reply. It makes you start wondering:

• Did the journalist get my email?
• Did it get opened or was it lost in the sea of other media pitches?
• Was my pitch so bad that it got posted online for everyone to laugh at?

Just kidding. Journalists are busy people; it could be that they were simply busy and didn't get to check their inbox yet.

Whatever the reason, it doesn't mean you should move on just yet.

As a general rule, you shouldn't email someone more than three times in a row without success. If you subtract the first email, that leaves you with two follow-up attempts for your pitch. Give at least a few days between each email. The same applies to calls, so if you have your journalist’s phone number, it’s important to keep them within this rule of three.

Take advantage of PR outreach tool

If you're using a PR outreach tool like Prowly to pitch media contacts, you can view which recipients received, opened, and clicked on your email. This lets you easily segment your follow-up message in to groups and tailor your message based on if they've opened your email—or not.

Prowly also allows you to see how much time journalists spend viewing your emails, which can offer valuable clues about their level of interest. If they only spent a brief moment on your email, it might be worth following up with a more targeted message to reinforce your original pitch.

When you do follow up, keep in mind the following:

• Be polite. Respect the fact that a journalist may not be interested in your story
• Be concise and to the point. Keeping the above point in mind, politely re-ask if they're interested or if you can provide any extra details
• Be prepared. If you do get a positive reply make sure you have any extra information they might need or a flexible schedule if they'd like to interview you for more details

Read more: Following up on Your Media Pitch – How to Do It Right

Conclusion

A media pitch can be crafted in many different ways, with PR experts often having their own preferred method. Nonetheless, the fundamentals of writing a successful pitch remain the same, whether it be how to write a pitch letter for an event or product launch.

Follow the tips and examples in this post and tailor them to your news. With a bit of time and experimentation, you'll find what works and what doesn't. Refining your pitching strategy is the first step to getting publications, which lead to backlinks and enhances your overall media coverage.

The post How to Write a Media Pitch (w/ 7 Real Examples from Experts) appeared first on Prowly.

Things like additional charges for add-ons to membership can leave you wondering how much you’ll have to pay in the end.

Here’s a quick pricing guide based on internal research and a few third-party websites to help you estimate how much PR Newswire will cost to send a press release.

• PR Newswire pricing overview
• How much does it cost to join PR Newswire?
  • Membership costs 
• The actual press release pricing
• PR Newswire national distribution
• PR Newswire multicultural distribution
  • Multimedia add-ons & logo
  • Other add-ons
• How much does it cost to send a press release with PR Newswire? (example)
• PR Newswire alternatives
• Conclusion

Disclaimer: This information may not be 100% accurate; for the most up-to-date PR Newswire pricing 2025 information, try to contact someone from their sales team.

If you're short on time and need a quick, affordable solution for press release pitching and follow-uping, consider Prowly. With a 7-day free trial that gives you access to a Media Database of over 1 million journalists, you can save significantly compared to costly newswire services.

PR Newswire pricing overview

These are the main costs involved with using PR Newswire to send a press release:

Key takeaways

• Adding extra content: Incorporating an extra 100 words in your press release on PR Newswire will increase your bill; the price for adding extra depends on the package, but it starts at $140.
• Logo inclusion: If you wish to add a logo to your press release for branding purposes, the total cost will be $405 more.
• Images or videos: Adding visuals to your press release will add an extra $325.
• Cost comparison: Features quickly add up, meaning you can pay well over $1000-2000 to send a single press release—an enormous jump compared to paying 5-10x less with a PR outreach tool like Prowly.

Ready to send your press release without breaking the bank? Skip the costs of traditional PR distribution services.

Prowly offers an all-in-one PR tool with an extensive media contacts database, starting from $258/month. You can choose between monthly or yearly subscriptions and start off with a free 7-day trial.  

How much does it cost to join PR Newswire?

To send a press release to PR Newswire, you must purchase their annual membership, which costs $195 or $249 if you require an invoice.

Membership costs

By joining PR Newswire and paying the membership cost, you will gain access to a bunch of possibly useful features, such as:

• Distribution network of your plan or package
• 24/7/365, concierge-level professional services and customer support
• Complimentary phone/webinar training for all major services
• Quarterly re-authentication of all of your organization’s “authorized senders”
• Complimentary access to Premium, member-only webinars that teach you how to leverage your content and engage with your key audience effectively
• Consultation and proofreading of your content by an editorial team
• and others

Note: Some PR specialists are wondering if PR Newswire is free. Unfortunately, according to PR Newswire, membership is not optional. If you want to send one press release, you will still have to pay the membership fee, increasing the total price.

How much does a PR Newswire release cost?

The actual press release pricing

How much does PR Newswire cost? Let’s move on to the price of sending the actual press release.

PR Newswire offers different package options. Depending on the scope of the distribution, PR Newswire charges $350 to $8,700.

These prices are for the standard 400-word press release. Every extra 100 words will be priced additionally, starting at $140 and up to even $2,200 ($22 per word!).

💡 P.S. If you want to dive deeper into Cision pricing, make sure to check out this article.

Disclaimer: For an accurate quote, we suggest contacting their sales team.

However, we identified the following options for national and multicultural distribution:

PR Newswire national distribution

Distributing your press release locally or in most states will cost $350. Targeting your top markets or focusing regionally will raise the price to $575, and sending your press release nationally will cost around $805.

PR Newswire multicultural distribution

Press release cost for multicultural distribution is high and can start from $1,200, targeting the US & Canada, and go up from there – $3,500 for Asia or Europe and up to $8,700 for a global reach.

Due to the rapidly rising costs as you increase the scope of your distribution, it’s wise to consider if you need to distribute your press release across the whole country, for example.

We've managed to gather Cision press release pricing packages, which cater to a range of distribution scopes:

Multimedia add-ons & logo

If you want to add multimedia to your press releases, you must pay an additional $325. It’s not clear if this is per single add-on or if there is a limit. You can also add a PDF, which costs $125. 

Adding your logo is a hefty $495, although this is a one-time annual fee that lets you reuse your logo later on for no additional cost.

Feeling overwhelmed by the costs associated with PR Newswire? Consider giving Prowly a shot. We offer a cost-effective solution that doesn't compromise on quality or reach. Better yet, why not try us out for free? Click the link below to begin your free trial today. There are no obligations, just an opportunity to discover a different way of sending press releases.

Other add-ons

Cision PR Newswire offers other add-ons and resources. I've skipped these as they are less commonly picked, but it's something to remember if you're after different features.

How much does it cost to send a press release with PR Newswire?

Now that you’re familiar with the costs involved add them up to get a rough estimate of your payment.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to distribute a press release to the national media in the US.

The newswire press release cost is about $1,000 and the membership fee. With your logo and one additional image, the price jumps to $1,820.

How much does a press release cost? PR Newswire press release pricing will vary, but plenty of more affordable options are available, considering you’re looking at spending $545 for the membership and most basic press release option.

PR Newswire alternatives

Plenty of more affordable options are available if you’re looking for a way to send your press release without stretching your budget with PR newswire prices.

There are two options:

1. Use a media outreach tool, like Prowly, that allows you to pitch relevant media contacts with your press release to get press coverage
2. Use another press release distribution service that's more budget-friendly compared to PR Newswire

If you're interested in the differences between the two, check out the guide to choosing the best press release distribution service →

1. Distributing a press release yourself

A cheaper—and usually more effective—way to send your press release and get media coverage is through PR outreach or pitching the media.

How can PR outreach more effectively get valuable press coverage than wire services?

PR outreach involves contacting relevant media contacts with your press release or story. This means getting media coverage where your target audience will most likely read the news you’re trying to spread.

Here is how to do this in a few simple steps in Prowly:

Step 1 - Find relevant journalists 

Creating a targeted media list proves far more effective than the "spray and pray" method or relying solely on newswire services. With just a few clicks, you can use Prowly's Media Database, which has over 1 million media contacts, to find relevant journalists who are genuinely intrigued by your story.

Step 2 - Use the narrow keyword search

Provide relevant keywords for your news. These can include your industry, specific topics, or even the names of your competitors. The more specific you are, the more effective the results will be.

To narrow down your search, you can use various filters:

• Date range: Discover journalists who have recently covered a particular topic.
• Location: If your news is specific to a local or country context.
• Topic: To further narrow down your search.

Once you've put in your keywords and filters, you will have a targeted media list with journalists' recent articles. 

Now, you can check their publications and explore their topics. 

Prowly provides contact information and social media profiles, streamlining the information-gathering process and sending press releases directly from the platform. This enables you to save time and seamlessly connect with journalists likely interested in publishing your story. 

Give Prowly's Media Database a try, free of charge, and build your customized media list. Use 1:1 Email Personalization for your pitches and increase your chances of gaining valuable press coverage. 

Additionally, you may want to consider a one-month subscription to Prowly's all-in-one PR tool. It offers a cost-effective alternative to expensive newswire services, helping you save significant money. Plus, you can get a notable discount if you're an NGO.

💡 If you're looking to amplify your PR efforts and connect with your community, consider if using local news coverage would be effective. For practical strategies, check out this article on how to get on local news.

2. Budget-friendly PR Newswire alternatives

The most popular alternatives to PR Newswire that are known to be more cost-effective are:

• EIN Presswire - starts at $99.95 per release
• 24-7pressrelease.com - starts at $29 per release
• PR Underground - starts at $49.99 per release
• NewswireJet - starts at $59 per release
• Send2Press - starts at $89 per release

We have recently analyzed the top press release websites, both free and paid. Take a look to discover more cost-effective options that align with your budget.

Conclusion

While PR Newswire offers a wide-reaching press release distribution service, the costs can quickly increase, especially for small PR agencies and startups. But getting your news out there doesn't have to break the bank. Many alternative press release distribution services can offer comparable reach at a fraction of the cost. 

One such solution is Prowly, a tool designed to help you find relevant media contacts, pitch your stories, and analyze your PR efforts. You don’t need to sacrifice quality for cost. Try Prowly for free and discover the difference a personalized PR campaign can make.

Cover photo by Alexander Mils

The post PR Newswire Pricing in 2025– How Much Does it Cost to Send a Press Release? appeared first on Prowly.

There are two main ways to do this: using a press release distribution service, also called a “wire”, or reaching out to relevant media contacts with your news in hopes of it getting covered.

If you're after press release distribution services, you probably have two of the most popular ones already on your radar: PR Newswire vs Business Wire. Here's how they compare.

• Pricing overview
• Feature comparison
• User reviews
• Newswire alternatives

Pricing overview

Pricing for both wire services is similar, although Businesswire is slightly on the more affordable side. The base price for both providers is nearly the same, with the main differences lying in the additionally priced features like logos, multimedia, and membership costs.

Features quickly add up, meaning you can end up paying well over $1000-2000 to send a single press release—an enormous jump compared to paying 5-10x less with a PR outreach tool like Prowly.

Feature comparison

Compared to other providers on the market, both wire services offer powerful press release distribution possibilities. 

Both PR Newswire and Businesswire let you target media outlets on a local, national, or global scale. Targeting options are advanced, giving you the flexibility to help your press release reach more relevant outlets. 

At a glance, it appears Businesswire is the winner when it comes to features. However, it’s worth remembering that these numbers are taken from each provider’s website, leading to possible differences in what each considers to be an outlet or journalist subscriber.

Reviews & what users are saying

To get a better idea of how each PR Newswire compares to Businesswire, let’s take a look at what reviewers are saying:

G2

As of November 2020, Businesswire has a rating of 4.1 out of 5 with 182 reviews, while PR Newswire is rated at 3.8 out of 5, with 690 reviews.

Trustradius

Reviews on TrustRadius tell a similar story, with users preferring Business Wire.

However, if you dig deeper into the reviews you can find pros & cons for both:

Reviewer #1

I used Business Wire for many years, but when I had a bad experience with customer service, I stopped.

Reviewer #2

I prefer Business Wire to PR Newswire because it is easier to navigate and browse by my selected industries. I do not feel the same way about PR Newswire, though I use both to ensure I am gathering as much information as possible in case one site missed news that the other may have.

Reviewer #3

PR Newswire is different from the others because it actually does sound like a news story at times. That is helpful when time is at a premium and you are wanting to get something out there that is a story that is informative and doesn't look like a PR piece at times.

Reviewer #4

PR Newswire is a basic wire distribution service, so it's best used for releases that you need to reach a wide audience but don't necessarily need to hyper-target demographically. There are a number of distribution channel options, but most of them are fairly generic when compared to other more intense services such as Business Wire. However, the price of PR Newswire is also significantly lower, so for what you pay, it more than exceeds expectations.

PR Newswire & Businesswire alternatives

Getting your news out to the world doesn’t have to be expensive. Apart from these two providers, there are two ways you can go: find a press release distribution service or reach out to relevant media outlets with your news.

Less expensive press release distribution services

Here are examples of other wire services without a hefty price tag:

• EIN Presswire - starts at $49.95 per release
• 24-7pressrelease.com - starts at $19 per release
• PR Underground - starts at $49.99 per release
• NewswireJet - starts at $59 per release
• Send2Press - starts at $89 per release

Distributing the press release by yourself

A cheaper—and usually more effective—way to send your press release and get media coverage is with PR outreach, or in other words: pitching the media.

How can PR outreach be more effective for getting valuable press coverage compared to wire services?

Instead of the typical “spray and pray approach” of wire services, PR outreach is about reaching out to relevant media contacts with your press release or story. What this means is being able to get your media coverage where your target audience is actually likely to read the news you’re trying to get out to the world.

Tools like Prowly let you find relevant media contacts with an extensive media database and then pitch them your story with personalized distribution and analytics. Pricing starts at $258 per month. Here's how it compares to newswires.

The post PR Newswire vs Business Wire – Pricing, Feature & Review Comparison appeared first on Prowly.

Things like additionally priced add-ons can leave you wondering how much you’ll actually have to pay in the end, especially because Business Wire doesn't give you a price quote until the end of the process. One anonymous reviewer on software review site G2, states that:

There is no way to get a price quote. For most clients, I work with they like to see quotes before selecting a service, and with Business Wire I have to go through all of the steps of ordering without actually confirming to make sure I know what price we will be charged.

Based on our own research and third-party information we've come up with an estimate of how much you can expect to pay to send a press release with Business Wire.

Disclaimer: This information may not be 100% accurate; for the most up-to-date Business Wire pricing information, try to get in touch with someone from their sales team.

Business Wire pricing overview

These are the main costs involved with using Business Wire to send a press release (source):

How much will it cost to send a PR with Business Wire?

Now that you’re familiar with the costs involved, let’s add them up to get a rough estimate of how much you’ll have to actually pay.

As an example, let’s say you’re trying to distribute a press release to national media in the US.

Sending a regular 400-word press release will cost you at least $760 while adding 100 words and a multimedia inclusion (like a photo or video) will bring that price up to $1380, similar to what you'd pay for using PR Newswire.

While the actual price may slightly differ from the numbers in this post, the general consensus of Business Wire users is that the service is pricey.

Here's what two Business Wire users have to say based on reviews from G2:

I'd say what I dislike the most is the price of Business Wire. It is very expensive, which is off-putting to my clients. Choosing additional distribution lists can add up very quickly.

Most of the press release postings are generic and there could be more effort into customizing them to different purposes. It is very pricey, especially when it comes to add-on features, such as multimedia content.

Business Wire alternatives

If you’re looking to distribute a press release without stretching your budget, there are plenty of more reasonably priced options available.

There are generally two options you can go, choosing a cheaper press release distribution service or sending the press release by yourself.

Read more in our guide on choosing the best press release distribution service.

1. Budget-friendly Business Wire alternatives

The most popular alternatives to Business Wire that are known to be cheaper are:

• EIN Presswire, starts at $49.95 per release
• 24-7pressrelease.com, starts at $19 per release
• PR Underground, starts at $49.99 per release
• NewswireJet, starts at $59 per release
• Send2Press, starts at $89 per release

2. Distributing the press release by yourself

A much cheaper and more effective way to send your press release is with PR outreach—or in other words—pitching the media. It allows for a more personalized approach, providing the journalist with news that is not only relevant but valuable.

Unfortunately, it is more time-consuming, but it definitely increases the chances of getting media coverage that’s actually valuable and not just a syndicated press release somewhere on the Internet.

Tools like Prowly let you find relevant journalists with an extensive media database and then pitch them your story with personalized distribution and analytics. Pricing starts at $258 per month.

Aside from being more affordable, PR outreach can be much more effective at getting actual press coverage and PR results. See how Prowly and PR outreach compares to a typical wire press release distribution service.

Cover photo by DocuSign

The post Business Wire Pricing – How Much Does it Cost to Send a PR? appeared first on Prowly.

In this guide, you'll find a list of the most popular UK media databases (also called journalist databases), including the biggest providers like Gorkana, as well as more affordable options for freelancers & PR teams with smaller budgets.

Regardless of whether you’re UK-based and looking for national media contacts or from outside the UK, these databases will help you prepare the right UK media list for your PR outreach.

List of UK media databases:

• Prowly
• Gorkana
• Roxhill
• Vuelio
• ResponseSource
• PRmax

List of UK media databases

At a glance, here’s how the top UK journalist databases compare with each other.

Unfortunately, it's still common for providers to not publicly provide information about their pricing and the possibility of a free trial—requiring you to speak with a sales representative.

Prowly 

Price: from £299 per month or £2508 per year (£209/mo)
Contract length: Yearly or monthly
Free trial or sample: 7-day free trial with search access

Prowly is a media relations tool with its own media database, which includes over 40,000 UK media contacts and 1 million worldwide.

It's possible to search for journalists using multiple filters, including keywords in their Tweets or articles that they've recently written.

The media database is integrated with a PR CRM where it’s possible to create targeted media lists and an email distribution module to pitch contacts right from the app.

Prowly is the only media database provider in the UK that lets you create a free trial account and see which media contacts are available.

Prowly pricing

Prowly provides subscriptions starting from £299/mo. Unlike most providers, monthly, cancel-anytime plans are available, so you don't have to commit to a whole year.

Gorkana (now as Cision)

Price: Undisclosed, estimated to start at £7,400 per year
Contract length: Yearly only
Free trial or sample: Undisclosed

Gorkana (now officially called Cision) is one of the most established PR tools & media databases in the UK market. On their website, they claim to be “The most accurate UK press contacts database”.

Gorkana lets you search by topic, recently published article headlines, sector, region, and many more to narrow down your search and find the right press contacts & media influencers.

Based on Gorkana’s website, the journalist database is estimated to have over 500,000 media contacts worldwide.

Gorkana pricing

Based on third-party sources, pricing is estimated to start from £5765 per year.

It’s unknown if non-UK contacts are priced extra or included in the price.

Roxhill

Price: Undisclosed, estimated to start at £6,000 per year
Contract length: Yearly only
Free trial or sample: Yes (granted after demo call)

Self-proclaimed to be the next-generation media database, Roxhill is a UK-based media intelligence tool launched by Gorkana's founder, Alex Northcott.

Roxhill's website emphasizes key features of its media database: powerful topic search, social search and monitoring, journalist requests and moves, press release distribution, and PR analysis & media insight.

A free trial is available upon providing your contact details and getting in touch with a sales rep.

Roxhill pricing

Roxhill claims to have pricing for different budgets, although pricing plans are undisclosed. Based on third-party sources plans are estimated to start at £6000 per year, with no monthly plans available.

P.S. If you’d like to explore the best Roxhill alternatives along with their pricing and key features, check out this guide.

Vuelio

Price: Undisclosed, estimated to start at £3000-5000 + VAT per year
Contract length: Yearly only
Free trial or database sample: Undisclosed

Vuelio lets you quickly and easily find media contacts from the UK. Build custom lists based on topics of interest, industry, size of publication, geographical reach, social influence, and many more.

Apart from the media database, you also get access to unlimited email distribution with full analytics and monitoring.

On Vuelio's website, they claim themselves to be the PR industry’s most powerful media list, citing that "with access to more than one million influencers, outlets, and opportunities, we connect you with the people that matter".

Vuelio pricing

Pricing isn't publicly available, but third-party sources claim that pricing starts at £3000-5000 + VAT per annum.

ResponseSource

Price: Undisclosed
Contract length: Undisclosed
Free trial or database sample: Demo only

ResponseSource describes its database as having “the most comprehensive and accurate contact details for journalists, including background information and media opportunities”. 

Smart search features give access to see recent tweets and articles of press contacts, so you can see if anyone is currently covering your topic.

ResponseSource emphasizes the accuracy of its database and frequent updates to ensure up-to-date contact details.

ResponseSource pricing

Unfortunately, pricing and contract details can't be found on ResponseSource's website. Expect to speak with a sales representative to get more details.

PRMax

Price: Varies (see below for details)
Contract length: Yearly or monthly
Free trial or database sample: Yes (granted after demo call)

PRMax calls its media database the most accurate and comprehensive media information in the UK. On their Twitter profile: “The UK's most cost-effective media database, full journalist contact details, and unlimited press release distribution".

Apart from UK media contacts, PRmax also offers a worldwide database.

Reviews of PRMax are hard to find, and the only one that appears on Google is negative.

PRMax pricing

Pricing plans are flexible, yet somewhat complicated. PRMax offers yearly, monthly, and off-off plans with a varying amount of features.

Prices start at £118 per month. Global or European media contacts, as well as other add-ons, are priced separately.

Conclusion

Choosing the right UK media database for your needs will vary based on things such as:

• If you need contacts from just the UK or other regions as well
• Your budget, especially if the database only offers yearly plans
• The scale and accuracy of the media contacts available
• Other features available with the database, such as being able to pitch contacts straight from the same tool

If you have the time, sign up for a demo call or trial for each provider and see which fits your needs best.

Otherwise, if you're short on time, you can always give Prowly a try and see the contacts & journalists they have are what you're looking for.

Cover photo by Dylan Nolte

The post UK Media Database Comparison – Pricing & Features [2025 Update] appeared first on Prowly.