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Data sources: where HeyJared gets journalist data

Understanding our data collection and verification processes

HeyJared's journalist database is built from publicly available information and verified through multiple sources. We prioritize accuracy, privacy, and ethical data collection practices to provide you with reliable, up-to-date journalist contact information.

Privacy First:

We only collect publicly available information and respect journalists' privacy preferences. Any journalist can request removal from our database at any time.

Primary Data Sources

Publication Websites

The primary source of our data comes from journalists' public profiles on publication websites.

  • • Author bio pages and staff directories
  • • Article bylines and contact information
  • • Beat coverage and specialization areas
  • • Professional headshots and bios
  • • Recent article history and publication frequency

Professional Networks

We gather information from professional networking sites where journalists maintain public profiles.

  • • LinkedIn professional profiles
  • • Twitter/X public accounts with journalism focus
  • • Professional journalism association directories
  • • Industry conference speaker lists
  • • Public journalism portfolios and websites

Article Monitoring

We continuously monitor publications to track journalist activity and updates.

  • • RSS feeds and publication APIs
  • • Article publication tracking
  • • Beat coverage analysis
  • • Byline and contact information changes
  • • New hire announcements and job changes

Data Verification Process

Every piece of information in our database goes through a multi-step verification process:

  1. 1
    Initial Collection: Automated systems gather publicly available information from verified sources
  2. 2
    Cross-Reference: Information is validated against multiple sources to ensure accuracy
  3. 3
    Email Verification: Contact information is tested for deliverability and accuracy
  4. 4
    Manual Review: Our team manually reviews profiles for quality and completeness
  5. 5
    Ongoing Monitoring: Regular updates ensure information remains current and accurate

What Information We Collect

Professional Information

  • • Full name and professional titles
  • • Current publication and employer
  • • Beat coverage and expertise areas
  • • Professional email addresses
  • • Social media handles (public accounts)
  • • Article history and publication frequency

Coverage Analysis

  • • Topics and industries covered
  • • Geographic focus areas
  • • Publication types and audiences
  • • Article frequency and timing
  • • Contact preferences (when available)
  • • Professional headshots (public)

What We Don't Collect

Privacy Boundaries

  • • Personal phone numbers or private contact information
  • • Home addresses or personal location data
  • • Private social media posts or protected content
  • • Financial information or salary details
  • • Personal relationships or family information
  • • Non-public or confidential professional communications

Data Quality Standards

Accuracy Requirements

All information must be verifiable from at least two independent sources and cross-referenced for consistency and accuracy.

Freshness Standards

Journalist profiles are updated regularly, with contact information verified monthly and professional details updated as changes are detected.

Activity Threshold

We focus on active journalists who have published content within the last 12 months to ensure our database remains relevant and useful.

User Contributions

Our users help improve data quality through various feedback mechanisms:

Corrections and Updates

  • • Reporting outdated contact information
  • • Suggesting new journalists to add
  • • Updating employment changes
  • • Correcting beat coverage information

Quality Feedback

  • • Email bounce notifications
  • • Response rate tracking
  • • Contact preference updates
  • • Publication change alerts

Privacy and Opt-Out

Journalist Rights

Any journalist can request to be removed from our database at any time. We respect these requests immediately and permanently remove all associated information.

  • • Complete profile removal within 48 hours
  • • No re-addition without explicit consent
  • • Removal notification to requesting party
  • • Respect for privacy preferences

Compliance and Legal

GDPR Compliance

We comply with European data protection regulations, including rights to access, correction, and deletion of personal information.

CAN-SPAM Compliance

Our email practices follow US anti-spam laws, including proper identification, truthful subject lines, and easy unsubscribe options.

Industry Standards

We follow journalism industry best practices for ethical contact and communication with members of the press.