MBToolBox
Wednesday Feb 01, 2006

How Do you Get in Touch with Publicists?

lizzie1.jpgThis might be a simple question for those of you who cover entertainment news frequently, but I figured since I know nothing about getting in touch with who represents who, then other might not as well. So here is a rundown of some possibilities:

The old standby that comes up first is Whorepresents, which is not whore presents. In fact, I can't believe I'm even acknowledging that old joke.

However, some writers have expressed frustration with using it as a resource. One poster on the MB bulletin boards recommended calling up SAG instead, saying it was much easier and only required a phone call.

Another said IMDB Pro is "inexpensive, [with] ok-to-decent on accuracy, [but] less-than-stellar customer service".

Then, there is the aptly-titled Contact Any Celebrity, which was described as being "a great source for non-film/TV rep info (politicians, sports figures, CEOs etc). As for film/TV, [their] strength is actor/actress. They accept research requests as well (up to 3 at a time)."

And, Studio System: "Silly-expensive but you get what you pay for.You can even have them research or verify rep info in essentially real-time. They do have a pay-per-document version for one-off needs, and a $60/month version that includes all rep info" aka filmtracker.

For an actor, you could just try contacting the studio that is releasing their most current project, but that probably won't be a quick step. For a TV actor, track down the PR offices for their network.

If it's a musician you're hoping to contact, give a call to their record label (That's just plain old fashioned google, for tracking that down.) Another bbs user says "If this musician has written any songs in the past, chances are he or she is a member of either ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC (publishing rights organizations). Give them a call and see if the person you need is in the database."

It's been a long time since I've used them and I'm not sure if they publish this sort of information (so please contact me if I'm incorrect) but heading to the library (or subscribing to) Who's Who may also help you out.

And, if none of the above work, you can always try your best Google trickery. You never know, it could work. Update: It DOES work, according to one tipster: "I started my own publication nearly six years ago just from searching on Yahoo for reps. It takes a little bit of time, but if you use your head and search for some good keywords you can find reps in no time at all. My first interview was with the boyband, NSYNC, who were at the top of their career at the top with the release of "No Strings Attached" -- and I did that interview before even having publishing one issue. "


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