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Coverage Reports

Create, automate, customize, and export Coverage Reports in Muck Rack.

Nikki Craig avatar
Written by Nikki Craig
Updated over 4 months ago

Attention: This article will be archived in Q1 2025!

Please see our new Coverage Reports collection in Help Center for a new and improved experience.

Coverage Reports

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Coverage Reports offer a comprehensive overview of your organization's media coverage, highlighting press hits from various sources such as newspapers, magazines, and online publications. By consolidating media mentions and interactions into a single, easy-to-digest format, these reports help you gain valuable insights into your brand's visibility, reach, and overall reputation in the media landscape.

Muck Rack Academy Essentials

You can learn about Coverage Reports by taking the Coverage Report course in the Muck Rack Academy.


Create a Coverage Report

Creating a Coverage Report can be done from scratch, from an Article Search, or through Alerts.

Watch the video or follow the steps below to learn how to create a Coverage Report.

⚠️ Important: Coverage Reports are restricted from adding more than 10,000 articles simultaneously. You can effectively manage this limitation by refining your search using specific date ranges. For instance, by filtering articles based on time intervals such as the first half of the year, you can gradually import segmented batches of articles, each containing up to 10,000 entries.

Create a Coverage Report from Scratch

  1. Go to Reporting > Coverage Reports.

    Shows the Reporting dropdown menu expanded and the 'Coverage Reports' option circled in red


  2. Select the Create New button in the top right-hand corner.

    Shows the Coverage Reports landing page with the 'Create New' button circled in red


  3. Fill out the desired information then select the Save button at the bottom.

    Shows a screen scrolling down through the 'Create a Coverage Report' page


Create a Coverage Report from an Article Search

  1. From your Article Search results page, select the articles you'd like to add to a report using the checkboxes.

  2. From the blue action bar that appears select the Add to Coverage Report button.

  3. Enter a name for your new Coverage Report and select 'Create New.'

    Shows the Article Results search page where a cursor bulk selects articles using the checkbox at the top, then selects Add to Coverage Reports and enters 'Black Friday' before selecting 'Create new'


Create a Coverage Report from an Alert

  1. From the Alert settings page, scroll to the Automate Coverage Report section at the bottom and enter a new Coverage Report name under the 'Create a new Coverage Report' option.

    Shows the 'Automate Coverage Report' section of the Alert Settings page with the 'Create a new Coverage Report' option highlighted

  2. Select the Save button at the bottom.

    Shows the Save button circled in red at the bottom of the Alert Settings page



Navigate a Coverage Report

When you access a coverage report, the Article Overview section will provide visual data on your report. Watch the video below or continue reading to learn more about these topics.

Select each item listed below to view a preview and description of each tab available within a Coverage Report.

Coverage Report Tab

Description

Article Overview

thumbnail of the Article Overview tab in a Coverage Report

In the Article Overview tab, you'll see top-level metrics for the set of coverage. Included at the top of every report are several engagement metrics.

Articles

thumbnail of the Articles tab in a Coverage Report

The Articles tab is the central place to view the individual articles that make up your report. Every Coverage Report will be created with a set of default columns which can be customized to fit your needs.

Clips
(Broadcast subscribers only)

thumbnail of the Clips tab in a Coverage Report

The Clips tab provides access and analysis of Broadcast Clips added to your Coverage Report.

NOTE: Access to Broadcast Clips is a paid add-on feature. To get Broadcast added to your Muck Rack account, contact your Customer Success Manager via Email, or contact Support.

What Data is Included in a Coverage Report?

Muck Rack offers various types of data points and metrics to make it easy to quantify your PR campaigns. For a full list of the data that can be seen or added to Coverage Reports (such as Engagement, Journalist Shares, UVM, and AVE) visit our Coverage Report Data article.


Automate a Coverage Report

Using Alerts, you can have coverage automatically added to your report, saving you valuable time and effort. There are two ways you can automate a Coverage Report:

  1. Navigate to your Coverage Report Settings page.

    Shows the 'Coverage Report Settings' page


  2. Scroll down to the Data automation section.

    Shows the 'Data automation' section of the Coverage Report Settings page


  3. If you'd like to use an existing Alert to power your Coverage Report, toggle the Add content from Alerts option to ON, then select an Alert using the dropdown menu.

    Shows the 'Select Alerts' dropdown circled in red


    If you'd like to use keywords and filters to power your Coverage Report, you can toggle the Keywords & filters button to ON and add your Boolean string into the text box.

    Shows the 'Keywords to monitor' field circled in red

    Finally, if you'd like to automatically compile Broadcast clips in your Coverage Report, toggle the Broadcast clips button to ON.

    Shows the 'Broadcast clips' header circled in red


    NOTE: When broadcast clips are added to your Coverage Reports through keywords and filters, you will still need to save the broadcast clip to ensure the video and transcript remain available. Learn more about clip availability and how to save broadcast clips in our Broadcast Clips article.

  4. Select the Save button at the bottom.

    Shows the 'Save' button circled in red


Add Articles to a Coverage Report

When you automate a Coverage Report, the report will only populate with articles published from that point on. If you would like to add any coverage that's been published already, you can quickly backfill your Coverage Report from an article search.

  1. Run an Article Search for the query you want to use to populate your report.

  2. Select individual articles by selecting the checkboxes to the left of each headline OR bulk select the entire list of articles by selecting the checkbox at the top of the results page and choosing Select all.

  3. Select Add to Coverage Reports in the action bar that appears.

  4. Enter the Name of your Coverage Report or create a new report.

    Shows a cursor bulk selecting articles using the checkbox at the top of the Article search results page, then selecting 'Add to Coverage Reports,' entering the name 'Black Friday,' then selecting 'Create New'


Bulk Add URLs to a Coverage Report

If you have articles that you located outside of Muck Rack that you would like to add to your Coverage Report, you can bulk add up to 100 URLs at a time.

  1. Go to the desired Coverage Report and select More > Add Content > Add URLs.

    Shows the More dropdown menu expanded with the 'Add Content' and 'Add URLs' options circled in red


  2. Copy and paste the URLs of the articles you want to add, separating multiple links with line breaks.

    Shows the 'Add links to Coverage Report' page with several links pasted into the text box

  3. Select the Add links button at the bottom.

⚠️ Important: If you have more than 100 URLs to add to your Coverage Report, contact our Customer Support team using the chat bubble or by emailing us at support@muckrack.com.


Customize a Coverage Report

Tailoring coverage reports ensures relevance, allows targeted analysis, and facilitates better team collaboration. With features like custom columns, filters, and other helpful tools, you can present information meaningfully, inform data-driven decisions, and optimize your media strategy.

Watch the video or continue reading below to learn more.


Enable Custom Columns

Custom Columns in Coverage Reports allow you to add your organization’s unique data to your press hits, enabling you to work directly with the most up-to-date coverage in Muck Rack. Column options provide over 30 data options that you can use in your Coverage Reports.

  1. Go to the Articles tab of your Coverage Report.

  2. Select the Edit Columns button in the top left-hand corner.

  3. Toggle the Column options ON and OFF to view or hide them.

    Shows the Articles tab of a Coverage Report where a cursor selects 'Edit Columns' then toggles two columns ON and OFF


Add Custom Data to a Coverage Report

Some data within the columns will be blank unless it is customized manually. You can edit the custom data for your Coverage Report at any time within Settings and Sharing using the following steps.

  1. From the Articles tab, select More, then select Settings.

    Shows the 'More' dropdown menu expanded with the 'Settings' option circled in red


  2. Select Custom Data.

    Shows the 'Coverage Report Settings' page with the 'Custom data' option in the left-hand menu circled in red


  3. Under each option, type to add column choices as needed and then select Save.

    Shows a curso selecting the 'Type to add column choices' box below 'Campaign' and entering multiple campaign types before selecting the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page



Assign Custom Data to Articles

Once you've created your own custom data, you can assign it to articles within your report. This can be on an individual basis or in bulk.

Assign Custom Data to Single Articles

  1. From the Articles tab of your report, select Edit Columns and make sure your Custom data column is toggled to ON.

    Shows the Articles tab of a Coverage Report and a cursor selecting the 'Edit Columns' button then 'Custom data' then toggling ON the 'Campaign' column


  2. Scroll to the Custom Data column you just enabled, hover over the 'None selected' text, select the 'Edit' button that appears, and select the custom data from the relevant dropdown menu in the 'Edit article' window that appears. Be sure to select the Save button to apply your selection.

    Shows a cursor scrolling to the right of the table, selecting 'Edit' and selecting one of the custom data options now populated under the 'Campaign' dropdown



Assign Custom Data in Bulk

You can bulk assign items in your Coverage Report(s) with your various Custom Columns choices by selecting the checkboxes next to any articles then selecting Edit in the upper blue action bar.

Shows the Articles tab of a Coverage Report with multiple articles selected with checkboxes circled in red and the 'Edit' button circled in red on the action bar at the top of the table


Edit Article Details in a Coverage Report

Coverage Reports automatically include snippets of text from articles along with details such as the article title, byline, publishing outlet, publication date, and sentiment. At times, you may wish to edit these details manually.

  1. Go to the Articles tab of your Coverage Report.

    Shows the 'Articles' tab circled in red on a Coverage Report

  2. Select Edit under the Actions menu for the article you’d like to change, or hover over the article details and select Edit

    Shows the 'Edit' button circled in red under the 'Actions' column

  3. Update your desired fields (e.g. title, media outlet, author, publication date, sentiment, article snippet).

    Shows the 'Edit article' window that appears when 'Edit' is selected

  4. Select the Save button to apply your changes.

Learn More About Editing Sentiment

See our Help Center article on Sentiment Reports to learn more about bulk-updating article sentiment in Coverage Reports.


Connect Pitches to Your Coverage

Connect articles in your Coverage Reports to specific Pitches that your organization has sent through Muck Rack.

  1. Navigate to the Articles tab of your Coverage Report and select Edit Columns.

    Shows the Articles tab of a Coverage Report with the 'Edit Columns' button highlighted


  2. Toggle the column labeled Pitch Placement to ON.

    Shows the 'Pitch placement' column option under 'Article data' toggled to ON

  3. Within the Pitch Placements column, select the Edit button next to Select Pitch

    Shows the 'Edit' button next to 'Select Pitch' under the 'Pitch Placement' column

  4. In the Edit Article pop-up window, select a Pitch to associate with the article using the Pitch Placement dropdown menu.

    Shows the 'Edit article' window with the 'Pitch Placement' dropdown menu expanded

  5. Select the Save button.


Assigning Articles to a Pitch in Bulk

  1. From the Articles tab of the applicable Coverage Report, select the checkboxes next to the articles you wish to associate with a pitch.

  2. Select the Attribute Coverage to Pitch dropdown in the blue action bar then select the pitch to associate.

    Shows a cursor selecting multiple articles on the Articles tab of a Coverage Report, then selecting 'Attribute Coverage to Pitch' then selecting a pitch


Duplicate Content in a Coverage Report

Duplicate articles are identified when they have similar content. An Original badge appears if an article is deemed the primary source, considering various factors like external links, brand, and publication time.

Group Duplicate Content in a Coverage Report

Group similar articles together in Coverage Reports to streamline your results and better track important press coverage.

Check out the video below or keep reading to learn more about this feature.

  1. Visit your Coverage Report and access More > Settings:

    Shows the 'More' menu expanded and the 'Settings' option circled in red


  2. You can adjust the duplicate grouping settings on a report level under the option Duplicate Content Is:

    Shows the Coverage Report Settings page with the 'Duplicate content is' section circled in red


  3. Choose Grouped Together to group duplicate content within your report. NOTE: This setting is automatically enabled in all Coverage Reports.


Filter Duplicate Content in a Coverage Report

  1. Go to a Coverage Report > Articles and select + Add Filter

    Shows the Articles tab of a Coverage Report with the 'Add Filter' button circled in red


  2. Select Duplicates.

    Shows the 'Add Filter' menu expanded with the 'Duplicates' option circled in red


  3. Choose either Articles with duplicates or Articles with no duplicates, then select Apply.

    Shows the Duplicates filter applied with the options 'Articles with duplicates' and 'Articles with no duplicates' show beneath

NOTE: The article representing the duplicate group, shown in the main table of the report without expanding "Show All Duplicates", may or may not be the original article. The article shown in the report's main table depends on the sorting order applied to the Coverage Report.

NOTE: Sometimes new duplicate articles will initially appear outside of the duplicate group. If this happens, they will typically be processed into the existing group within 30 minutes.


Edit Subscribers

  1. Go to the report and select More, then select Settings.

    Shows the 'More' menu expanded and the 'Settings' option circled in red

  2. Under Sharing, use the dropdown to select the team you'd like to share this report with.

    Shows the 'Coverage Report Settings' page with the 'Sharing' dropdown menu circled in red

  3. Select the Save button at the bottom.


Export a Coverage Report

When you need to share articles and their impact with clients or colleagues, you can export your Coverage Report to Excel, PDF, or Rich Text.

  1. Go to Reporting > Coverage Reports and select the name of the Coverage Report you want to export.

    Shows the Coverage Reports landing page with the name of a Coverage Report circled in red


  2. Select Export and choose your export format.

    Shows the Coverage Report with the 'Export' button circled in red in the top right-hand corner


    Shows the 'Export' pop-up window with the 'Export' section circled in red


  3. Select either Filtered rows (will export only columns you have turned ON and uses the dates in your date filter) or All rows (will export every available row).

  4. Select the Export button.



Coverage Report Export Formats

Format

Preview

Excel

Example of a Coverage Report exported in PDF format
  • Includes clickable URLs

  • Includes columns and rows that are available within the original Coverage Report

  • Can leverage Excel functionality to sort and filter if needed

PDF

  • Provides a summary of metrics at the top

  • Includes clickable URLs and Clips of the articles

  • Includes data for each article based on the columns and rows enabled in the original Coverage Report

Rich Text (Outlet name with linked title)

Example of a Coverage Report exported in Rich Text format with the Outlet name and linked title
  • Provides a list of articles with the Outlet Name first, then a clickable URL to the article

  • Great to copy and paste into communications, Presentations, reports, etc.


TIP: You can copy and paste links into a Text Only slide within your Presentations to provide a full list of articles if desired.

Shows a cursor copying and pasting links from the Rich Text browser window into a Text Only slide within a Presentation

Rich Text (Linked outlet name only)

Example of a Coverage Report exported in Rich Text format with the linked outlet name only

  • Provides a list showing only the Outlet Names, with clickable URLs that open each article

NOTE: You can customize what elements of your Coverage Report are exported by adjusting the Columns and Filters within the Articles Tab.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: When exporting your Coverage Report in an Excel format, a Journalist Statuses tab will appear, which contains all journalists who have Tweeted the articles in your report along with each of their tweets.


Coverage Report Spike Notifications

Leveraging proprietary algorithms driven by Artificial Intelligence, Muck Rack will now send notifications directly to a user's inbox when a sharp increase in the number of articles is detected in any of the automated Coverage Reports they own or subscribe to.

You can turn these notifications ON or OFF by using the following steps:

From your Organization Settings, navigate to the Notifications section at the bottom and select the toggle button next to Coverage Report spike emails.

Shows the Notifications section of the Settings page highlighted with the toggle button next to 'Coverage Report spike emails' circled in red


Here is what an example Coverage Report Spike Notification looks like:

Example of a Coverage Report Spike Notification email

NOTE: By default, users have this feature turned ON.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question

Answer

How do I delete duplicates?

Expand the target duplicate group by selecting "Show All Duplicates". From there, select the entire subtable by clicking the top-left checkbox. Unselect any articles you want to retain and then delete the rest.

If I add in several article URLs that are in the same duplicate group, will they still all appear as separate rows in the coverage report?

If duplicate grouping is active for the coverage report, all articles within a duplicate group would be displayed with all of the duplicates underneath it.

Do all duplicate groups have an original article?

If there isn’t sufficient evidence to determine an ‘Original’ article, none will be chosen.

How do I easily delete duplicates from a coverage report?

Expand the target duplicate group by selecting "Show All Duplicates". From there, select the entire subtable by clicking the top-left checkbox. Unselect any articles you want to retain and then delete the rest.

What if UVM isn’t available for a media outlet?

If available, the Unique Visitors per Month (UVM) for a media outlet will be displayed directly on its profile page. A media outlet that does not have UVM will display N/A, signifying that the data isn’t currently available from Comscore or SimilarWeb.

Media outlets are automatically updated when any new or additional UVM data is available, so you always have the most up-to-date information we’re able to provide.

How do I turn on AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency) in my Coverage Report?

You can turn on the AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency) under the filters on the left-hand side of the Articles tab of your Coverage Report. Under the "Media Outlet Data" section, toggle on the AVE:

Shows the 'Media Outlet Data' section under 'Edit Columns' with a red arrow pointing to the 'OFF' toggle next to 'AVE'

This will display AVE for individual articles on the Articles tab and an overall metric on the Overview tab. You can learn more about AVE in reporting here: Enabling and Configuring AVE in Coverage Reports.

How do Coverage Report Spike Notifications work?

Our AI tracks news trends over various timeframes like days, weeks, and months. When we notice an unusual increase in coverage for a report, we call it a 'spike' and send you an email notification, helping you make the most of the heightened attention. Our AI adapts the spike thresholds as it learns, ensuring you only get notified about the most relevant stories.

The algorithm works by analyzing user-curated Coverage Reports, checking for deviations from normal coverage levels, and sending an email if it's significantly higher than usual, all within 24 hours.

If an article is Print only and I do not have a subscription to LexisNexis, will I still be able to see the estimated reach for the outlet?

Yes - when you add the print story to a coverage report, you will see "Audience" populated from LexisNexis even if you don't pay for the add-on. That's the print distribution of the outlet.

You could also see that print distribution number from LexisNexis on a media outlet page listed as "Audience" under Media Outlet Details, without the need to create a Coverage Report.


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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