The daily brief is the most-read output of any media monitoring programme. If it is done well, leadership starts the day informed and the comms team has a shared picture of what matters. If it is done badly -- a 15-item dump of headlines with no context -- it gets skimmed, archived, and eventually unsubscribed from.
This template has been tested with UK comms teams across financial services, healthcare, energy, and professional services. It takes 30-40 minutes to produce and fits on a single page.
Brief structure
Section 1: Top stories (3 maximum)
Each story gets three lines:
[Headline in bold] -- [Outlet], [Date]
[One sentence: what the story says and why it matters to the organisation.]
Action: [What the comms team should do, or "No action required -- monitoring continues."]
Example:
"FCA opens investigation into claims handling at mid-tier insurers" -- Financial Times, 9 Feb 2026
The FT names three mid-tier insurers including a direct competitor. Our brand is not mentioned, but the article quotes an FCA spokesperson saying the investigation scope may widen. If the FCA expands the scope, we are likely to receive media inquiries.
Action: Monitoring analyst to set up a dedicated alert for our brand + this FCA investigation. Holding statement to be reviewed by 14:00 today.
Three stories maximum. If there are fewer than three significant stories, run with one or two. Never pad the brief to fill space. If nothing significant happened overnight, say so explicitly: "No significant coverage overnight. All monitoring signals within baseline."
Section 2: High-impact mention of the day
One mention that stands out for reach, influence, or strategic significance. Format:
Outlet: Guardian
Journalist: [Name]
Reach: 24.8m monthly unique visitors (online) / 105k print circulation
Sentiment: Negative
Summary: [One sentence.]
Why it matters: [One sentence connecting to business context.]
This section trains leadership to think about individual mentions in terms of reach and influence, not just headline count.
Section 3: Trend note (2-3 sentences)
A short observation about what is changing in the broader coverage landscape. This is where the monitoring analyst adds value beyond headline summation.
Examples:
- "Share of voice declined 2pp this week to 28%, driven by a competitor product launch dominating trade coverage in PR Week and Citywire. Expected to normalise next week."
- "Negative sentiment on social channels (X/Twitter, Reddit) increased 12% this week around customer service wait times. No editorial pickup yet, but this is the third consecutive weekly increase."
- "Coverage of the net zero commitment shifted from news to opinion pieces this week, with a Guardian editorial and a Times op-ed both questioning the pace of delivery. This framing shift is more significant than the volume suggests."
Section 4: Actions and owners
A bullet list of any actions arising from today's coverage:
- [ ] [Owner]: [Action] by [deadline]
- [ ] [Owner]: [Action] by [deadline]
If no actions are needed, state: "No actions required today."
This section turns the brief from an informational document into an operational tool. It also creates a paper trail -- useful when someone asks "did we respond to that FT piece?"
Delivery logistics
Timing: Send by 08:30 every working day. This means the analyst needs to start the triage process by 07:00-07:30. If your team is in London and your monitoring platform is configured for GMT, overnight coverage should be available by 06:30.
Format: Email with the brief in the body (not as an attachment). Use a consistent subject line format: "Media Brief -- [Date] -- [Green/Amber/Red]." The traffic-light rating reflects the overall risk level of today's coverage, not the volume.
| Colour | Meaning | |--------|---------| | Green | No significant negative coverage, all signals within baseline | | Amber | Notable negative coverage or emerging signal that may require action | | Red | Significant negative coverage in Tier 1 outlet, active crisis signal, or escalation triggered |
Distribution list: Keep it tight. The core list should be: head of comms, comms manager, CEO/MD (if they want it), and relevant function heads (IR, marketing, legal) based on the day's topics. A distribution list above 15 people means the brief is too broad and will inevitably be watered down to avoid offending anyone.
Weekly summary: On Friday, produce a weekly summary that aggregates the week's briefs into: top 3 stories of the week, share of voice snapshot, sentiment trend, and cumulative actions taken. This weekly view feeds the monthly executive dashboard.
What does NOT belong in the daily brief
- Every mention of your brand. The brief is curated, not exhaustive. If leadership wants the full feed, give them platform access.
- Positive coverage padding. Do not include positive mentions to "balance" a negative story. The brief is about risk and action, not morale management.
- Competitor deep-dives. A competitor mention is relevant only if it directly affects your positioning. Save competitive analysis for the weekly or monthly report.
- Social media metrics. Unless a social signal has crossed into editorial coverage or hit an escalation threshold, it belongs in the social listening report, not the media brief.
- Long quotes or article excerpts. Link to the article. If someone wants the full text, they can click through.
Common mistake: the brief that tries to please everyone
A UK transport company sent a daily brief to 28 people across comms, marketing, operations, legal, and the executive committee. To avoid complaints about missed stories, the analyst included every mention -- sometimes 20+ items per day. The brief ran to three pages. The CEO's chief of staff asked to be removed from the list after two weeks. The head of legal said they only read it when their name appeared in a story.
The team cut the distribution to 8 people, reduced the brief to 3 stories maximum, and added a link to the full coverage log for anyone who wanted detail. Readership (measured by email opens) increased from 35% to 82%. The CEO started responding with questions and instructions -- the brief became a decision trigger rather than an information dump.
Checklist: before you hit send
- [ ] Three stories maximum, each with an action recommendation
- [ ] High-impact mention includes outlet, reach, and sentiment
- [ ] Trend note connects to a business-relevant pattern
- [ ] Actions have named owners and deadlines
- [ ] Subject line includes date and traffic-light colour
- [ ] Sent by 08:30
- [ ] No padding, no fluff, no coverage included just because it exists