To: Board of Supervisors
From: Esa Ehmen-Krause, County Probation Officer
Report Title: Purchase Order with Muck Rack, LLC
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, on behalf of the County Probation Officer, to execute a Purchase Order and a Customer Agreement with Muck Rack, LLC in an amount not to exceed $28,000, for the purchase of a media monitoring subscription for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This purchase will be funded 100% by the General Fund.
BACKGROUND:
Muck Rack was initially created for journalists to find each other online and set up portfolios. Since then, Muck Rack has grown into a suite of new and innovative public relations management tools powered by world-class data. Their research and media data underscore the company’s commitment to serving the journalist community and supporting free press. Muck Rack offers a software package for the public relations community to monitor the news. They track coverage from dozens of outlet types for any mentions of the County and Probation Department specific keywords. These mentions are given to the Departmental Community and Media Relations Coordinator in real time. This allows Probation to maximize their public relations efforts and address any media opportunities promptly. Without the media monitoring subscription, staff will be unable to support the Department’s responsiveness and productivity objectives with media releases, social media accounts, and communications with community groups and organizations.
Muck Rack will use LexisNexis services to provide their public relations monitoring to the County. LexisNexis terms and conditions limit their liability and obligate County to indemnify LexisNexis.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If unapproved, staff will be unable to support the Department’s responsiveness and productivity objectives with media releases, social media accounts, and communications with community groups and organizations.