People Search
People Search allows you to discover and connect with relevant people in the media and communications industry, making building relationships, collaborating on stories, or pitching ideas easier.
Learn More in Muck Rack Academy
Learn more about how to leverage People Search, including what to do with your People Search results, in our Search for People course.
How to Search for People
Watch the video below or keep reading to learn how to Search for People on Muck Rack:
Select the People tab from the search tool.
Enter keywords related to the people you wish to find (e.g., "artificial intelligence" or "AI"). Press Enter or select the Search icon.
Browse through the search results to find relevant individuals. Select a journalist's name to view more information via a quick view panel, or navigate to their full profile by selecting the View Full Profile button at the bottom.
NOTE: You can get additional tips on improving your search by selecting the Search Help guide on the far right of the Search tab. For troubleshooting missing profiles, refer to the new section on profile visibility issues below.
AI Visibility Badges
Journalists may display an AI Visibility Badge next to their name in search results.
These badges indicate how frequently that journalist’s recent articles appear as cited sources in AI-generated responses. These badges help you quickly identify which journalists are most visible in AI systems so you can factor AI relevance into your outreach strategy.
NOTE: Badges only appear for journalists that fall into one of the three AI Visibility tiers. Not all journalists will display a badge. Learn more in our Outlet & Journalist AI Visibility Badge article.
Search Terms in People Search
Below are a few recommended ways to format search terms within People Search:
Search by | Example |
Name | "Anderson Cooper" |
Email address |
NOTE: Email addresses cannot be combined with Boolean operators. Searches that include an email and Boolean are not supported and will be treated as regular query text. |
Twitter (X) handle | @username |
Bio Details | vegan, father, marathoner |
People Search Filters
Filter | Function |
Verification | Display only Muck Rack-verified journalists. |
Must Appear In | Allows you to specify where your search terms must appear within the results.” And then “when using this filter the search results will only display journalists who have mentioned or written about the specified terms in the selected sections. |
Bios and Titles | By enabling this filter, the search results will only include journalists who have written blogs or articles with the specified terms in their titles. This filter allows users to target journalists who have created content specifically related to the keywords or topics of interest. |
Beats | Filter journalists based on the specific topics or industries they cover. |
Most Covered Topics | Filter journalists based on the topics they write about the most.
Each journalist will have up to 10 Most Covered Topics displayed in their quick view and profile.
NOTE: For a topic to appear, it must be at least 5% of their total articles, and the articles must have been written within the past 12 months. Topics can be selected from the profile to see all the articles written by that journalist on that topic. |
Outlet Type | Filter journalists based on the type of media outlet they work for (e.g., newspaper, magazine, online publication). |
Location | Narrow down results by specifying a particular geographic area. |
Date Range | Allows you to specify a specific timeframe you want to search for articles or media coverage. |
Scope | Allows you to narrow down your search results by specifying specific areas or scopes of expertise. |
Media Lists | Enables you to search for journalists based on specific curated lists or groups. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question | Answer |
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Why aren’t my custom contacts showing up when I search by email? | Custom Contacts are only visible to your organization and are not technically considered part of Muck Rack’s maintained database of journalists. As a result, because they are only visible to one’s org, they cannot appear in search results. |
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Will I be able to search for an email address and Boolean text? I.e (test@muckrack.com AND “Chicago Cubs”) | The combination of email and Boolean text is not currently supported.
Searches that include an email and Boolean are not supported and will be treated as regular query text. |
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What do I do if my search for a journalist didn't return any results? | If you're searching for a journalist or media outlet that returns the message "[name] did not return any results," select the button under this notification to contact the Muck Rack research team. Our team can help you find results and add any missing reporters or media outlets that meet our database criteria. |
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Why does a journalist profile appear in Muck Rack but not in the Muck Rack platform? | Muck Rack's editorial team is responsible for filling in a selection of these profiles that meet our criteria so they appear on Muck Rack's curated platform. A smaller subset of these searchable profiles is set as verified.
This is why they may appear in one place and not the other. The quickest way to flag these profiles for review is by using the "Request update" button. Alternatively, you may start a new chat anywhere in Muck Rack or email us at support@muckrack.com. |
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Why can’t I find a journalist’s profile even though it exists on the web? | Profiles that have not been curated or claimed may not appear in Muck Rack search results, even if they are visible elsewhere. |
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What happens if a journalist hides their profile? | Hidden profiles will not appear in search results and cannot be modified by Muck Rack. This is a user-controlled privacy setting. |
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Can I request an update to a removed profile? | If a profile has been removed due to a journalist’s request, it cannot be reinstated. However, you can add the journalist as a Custom Contact. |
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Are Custom Contacts visible to anyone outside my organization? | No, Custom Contacts are private and only visible to you and your teammates within your organization. |
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Can I request Muck Rack to recreate a public profile for a journalist who requested removal? | No, Muck Rack cannot recreate public profiles for journalists who have requested their profiles to be removed. |
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Why does Muck Rack enforce this policy? | This policy is in place to respect the privacy and preferences of journalists who have explicitly requested the removal of their profiles. |
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Troubleshooting Profile Visibility Issues
If you cannot find a specific journalist’s profile on Muck Rack, consider the following reasons and solutions:
User-Controlled Privacy Settings: Some journalists choose to hide their profiles, tweets, and articles on Muck Rack. Hidden profiles will not appear in search results.
Platform Curation Criteria: Profiles that do not meet Muck Rack’s curation criteria or have not been claimed by the journalist may not appear in search results.
Lack of Recent Bylined Articles: Profiles without a bylined article in the last three months may not be searchable but can still be accessed via their direct public URL.
Changes in Media Outlet Affiliation: Journalists no longer affiliated with tracked media outlets may have their profiles removed from search results.
Profile Removal Requests: Journalists can request profile removal, making them unsearchable. Workarounds for Missing Profiles:
Search for the Profile’s Direct URL: If the profile exists but is not searchable, try accessing it via its direct public URL.
Add a Custom Contact: If the profile has been removed, add the journalist as a Custom Contact in your account, including details like their role, outlet, and email.
Policy on Recreating Profiles
Muck Rack strictly adheres to the policy that public profiles cannot be recreated for journalists who have previously requested their profiles to be removed. This policy ensures respect for the journalist's privacy and preferences.
How to Create a Custom Contact
Follow these steps to add a journalist as a Custom Contact:
Navigate to the Custom Contact creation page in your Muck Rack account. (Relationships > Custom Contacts > Add Contact)
Enter the journalist's details, such as their name, email address, and any other relevant information.
Save the contact to make it accessible to you and your teammates.
By using Custom Contacts, you can effectively track and manage journalists internally while respecting their privacy preferences. Learn more in our dedicated article here.
Get Help
For additional help, contact support by choosing the chat icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and selecting Messages > Send us a message.
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