pressbase Classic offers various search options to help you find suitable media outlets, editorial teams, sections, publishers, and contacts. You can start with a broad search and refine it step-by-step.
The goal is not simply to generate the highest number of results, but to find the right ones. The more precisely you combine search options, the better the resulting list will align with your topic and communication objectives.
Select Database
First, choose the database you wish to search.
Depending on your license and user permissions, pressbase DACH, pressbase World, or only one of the two databases may be available. If a database is not visible, this is usually due to your specific license or personal access rights.
Select the database that corresponds to your target region. pressbase DACH is suitable for research within the German-speaking region. For international research, use pressbase World (if available).
Narrow Down by Country
In pressbase DACH, you can select countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Selecting countries helps narrow down your search geographically. If you are looking for media outlets only in Germany, you should not select Austria or Switzerland as well. Conversely, if your communication covers the entire German-speaking region, selecting multiple countries may be appropriate.
Selecting at least one country is required for certain regional searches.
Topic and Section
You can use the "Topic/Section" feature to focus your search on specific subject matter.
This search option is useful when you want to find contacts responsible for specific topics or editorial areas—such as business, politics, mobility, health, culture, technology, or other specialized fields.
Use the "Topic" and "Section" filters when you want to find suitable editorial teams or authors for specific content, rather than simply searching for a specific name.
Media Type
The "Media Type" filter allows you to specify which types of media should be included in your search.
Depending on the database and available data, relevant categories might include print media, online media, radio, TV, trade/specialist media, or other media types. This restriction is useful if your communication is targeted at specific types of media. For instance, an invitation to a local press event might involve different media categories than a technical update intended for an online industry sector.
Additional filters
You can further refine your search in the "Additional filters" section.
There, you will find search fields for criteria such as person, medium/publisher, email address, or editorial team/desk/correspondent. These fields are useful when you already have more specific information.
If, for example, you are searching for a specific person, a well-known media outlet, or an email address, you can narrow down the results very precisely.
Refine search using media profiles
The "Refine search using media profiles" option allows you to incorporate additional information from the media profile into your search.
This is useful when you want to include descriptive information from the profile in your research, rather than relying solely on the name of a media outlet or section.
This feature is particularly helpful for thematic research, allowing you to find suitable media outlets based on content descriptions.
Enter search terms
Enter your search terms in the "What are you looking for?" field.
Phrase your terms as precisely as possible. If researching a specific topic, start with the most important technical terms. If you get too few results, broaden your search terms; if you get too many, add further filters.
Avoid entering too many different search concepts at once. It is better to build your search deliberately and refine it later.
Search mode
The search mode determines how multiple search terms are processed.
"All terms must appear" corresponds to an AND search. You will only receive results containing every term you entered. This is useful for highly targeted searches.
"At least one of the terms must appear" corresponds to an OR search. This yields broader results and is helpful when you want to include multiple similar terms or variations of a topic.
Special full-text search syntax
You can use special full-text search syntax for more precise research.
This allows you to combine search terms more effectively or search for specific phrases with greater accuracy. This feature is particularly useful for experienced users conducting complex searches.
If you are unsure, start with a standard search and use the special syntax only when you want to further refine your results.
Breaking down compound terms
The option to break down compound terms into individual search terms allows for greater flexibility when searching.
This is useful when a compound term appears in the data with varying spellings or as separate words. It enables the search to find additional relevant results that would not appear with a more restrictive phrasing.
Postal code, area, and local coverage
You can narrow down your search by postal code, area, and local coverage.
This is particularly important when your communications are aimed at local or regional media. For example, you can search for media outlets relevant to a specific area, city, district, or region.
The area search operates on the principle that "the large includes the small." Consequently, a search for a larger area can also include smaller local media outlets located within that area.
National media
You can also specify whether to include national media or if you wish to target only national-level coverage.
This is helpful if you want to make a deliberate distinction between local, regional, and national outreach. Regional media are often more important for local events, whereas national media can be particularly relevant for major corporate or industry-wide topics.
Proximity Search
The proximity search allows you to find media outlets within a specific geographic area.
This search is particularly useful for local events, press briefings, location-specific topics, or regional campaigns. You simply select a location—or starting point—and an appropriate radius.
This enables you to find media outlets that are geographically close to your topic or event venue.
Print Metrics
For print media, additional metrics can be taken into account, such as print run, circulation, copies sold, IVW verification status, or publication frequency.
These filters help you narrow down print media based on reach, publication schedule, or verified figures.
Use these details when reach or media quality play a key role in your selection process.
Online Metrics
For online media, metrics such as page visits, page impressions, or IVW verification status can be relevant.
These figures help you better assess online outlets and evaluate media based on reach or verified traffic numbers.
Such metrics are particularly helpful for selecting the right media outlets for digital campaigns or online PR.
Save Search or Save Results List
You can reuse your results after a successful search.
"Save Search" stores your search criteria. This is useful if you want to run the same search again later.
"Save as Results List," on the other hand, saves specific search results. This list remains as a fixed selection and does not change automatically—unless specific contacts are removed from pressbase.
Which option is best depends on whether you need a dynamic search or a fixed selection.
New Search
"New Search" resets your current search criteria so you can start over.
This is useful when starting a new search or if you no longer wish to apply previous filters.
Summary
pressbase Classic offers a wide range of search options to help you reliably find the right media contacts. You can filter by database, country, topic, editorial desk, media type, person, outlet, email address, region, and radius, as well as by print and online metrics.
Start with a broad scope, review the initial results, and refine your search step by step. This way, you will find not only a large number of results but, above all, the right contacts for your communications.
