Automated PR Journalist Media List Refresh
Every Monday, WebRun opens Muck Rack, runs verification checks on your active journalist contact lists, flags contacts whose beat, outlet, or role has changed in a Google Sheet, and posts a Slack summary with contacts to update or remove so your media lists stay accurate.
How can I automatically keep my PR journalist media lists accurate and up to date?
Every Monday, WebRun opens Muck Rack and verifies every journalist contact across your active media lists, checking for outlet moves, beat changes, and role updates. It logs flagged contacts in a Google Sheet with the required action and posts a Slack summary, so your team always pitches accurate, current contacts without manual list maintenance.
- Stale journalist contacts are flagged before they cause a misdirected pitch
- Media lists across all client verticals are checked every week without manual effort
- The team knows exactly which contacts to update with a linked action sheet in Slack
Built for PR agencies · media relations managers · account teams · publicists
What does WebRun do on every run?
The exact actions WebRun takes, in order - in plain language, so you can adjust anything.
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WebRun signs in and gets to work
Opens
muckrack.com/media-listsin a real browser with your saved login - no setup, no API keys. -
1
Muck Rack - verify journalist contacts
muckrack.com
WebRun opens Muck Rack to verify journalist contacts. - Open Muck Rack and load your active media list for each client vertical
- Check each journalist's current outlet, beat, and role for changes since last review
- Flag contacts who have moved outlets, changed beat, or become inactive
Done when All journalist contacts in active lists have been checked and changes identified.
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2
Google Sheets - log stale or changed contacts
google.com
WebRun opens Google Sheets to log stale or changed contacts. - Open the media list maintenance sheet
- Log each flagged contact with their current details and what changed
- Mark contacts as update needed, remove, or verify manually depending on the type of change
Done when The maintenance sheet lists every flagged journalist with the required action.
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3
Slack - post the refresh summary
slack.com
WebRun opens Slack to post the refresh summary. - Post a summary of this week's list refresh to the relevant account channel
- Note total contacts checked, number flagged, and the most urgent updates
- Link to the Google Sheet for the team to work through the flagged items
Done when The team has a Slack summary with a link to all contacts needing action.
How is each run configured?
Secure by default
Connect once, stays signed in
WebRun signs in once and keeps each session in a persistent environment, so every run picks up right where it left off.
Every action is checked against this policy before it runs.
Questions, answered
Does it automatically update or delete contacts from the list?
No. It flags contacts that may need updating and logs the required action in the Google Sheet. A team member reviews each flagged item and makes the change, so no contact is removed without human approval.
Which changes does it look for in Muck Rack?
It checks for journalists who have moved to a different outlet, shifted beat, changed job title, or whose profile shows recent inactivity, covering the most common reasons a media-list contact becomes inaccurate.
How often should media lists be refreshed?
Weekly checks catch most beat and outlet changes early. Running this each Monday means your lists are verified before any new pitch campaign is launched, reducing the risk of a pitch landing with the wrong journalist.
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