How to identify journalists who are active on Twitter

Online directories can help PR pros target writers by outlet, beat, and more

Journalists are the celebrities of the PR world. Wherever journalists go, there are sure to be some PR pros nearby. The more high-profile the journalist, the bigger the PR crowd—whether it’s a panel discussion at your local PRSA chapter or a journalist discussion on Twitter. I think this is a good thing. I’d be more worried about PR pros who don’t want to meet and learn from journalists.

Twitter is a great example of this dynamic in action. Journalists have flocked to Twitter. It’s the perfect environment for individual journalists to build a personal following with their readers. It’s also great medium for building their personal brands. I believe Twitter provides PR pros the greatest insight into how journalists work and what their individual preferences are, far exceeding any “pitch tips” or journalist profiles they have ever had access to.