# Mediastack MCP > Mediastack provides immediate access to global news data through your AI agent. It lets you search and filter articles from over 7,500 international sources in real time or query historical events by specific dates. Get comprehensive media coverage for research, reporting, and trend analysis without leaving your workflow. ## Overview - **Category:** marketing-automation - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** news-api, real-time-data, media-monitoring, global-news, article-search ## Description Mediastack connects your AI agent directly to a massive global news network. Instead of hopping through dozens of niche websites or running multiple manual searches, you simply ask your agent for the information you need—whether it's breaking headlines from Tokyo or an article about oil prices from London last month. You can narrow down results based on keywords, specific countries, or even just a particular category like 'technology.' Because this MCP is hosted on Vinkius, you connect once and instantly gain access to global intelligence without needing multiple API keys or complex coding setups. Your agent handles the heavy lifting, bringing structured, filtered news articles right into your chat window. ## Tools ### get_news Retrieves live or archived news articles, allowing you to specify a date range for historical lookups. ### list_sources Fetches the complete list of all news organizations and publishers supported by Mediastack. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Get the latest technology news from the US in English. ``` **Response:** ``` I've found 10 recent technology articles from the US. Headlines include 'New AI Breakthrough' and 'Silicon Valley Trends'. Would you like a summary of any of these? ``` **Prompt:** ``` List all news sources available in the sports category for the UK. ``` **Response:** ``` I've retrieved the sports sources for the UK. Available publishers include 'BBC Sport', 'Sky Sports', and 'The Guardian Sports'. Which one should I query for articles? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Search for news articles about 'SpaceX' published on 2024-01-15. ``` **Response:** ``` Searching archives... I found 5 articles about SpaceX from January 15th, 2024. The top headline is 'Starship Flight Test Update'. Shall I provide the full details? ``` ## Capabilities ### Retrieve Live News Updates Fetch breaking headlines and recent articles from thousands of global publishers as they are published. ### Track Historical Events Query news archives to find coverage of past events by specifying exact start and end dates. ### Discover News Outlets Get a list of supported news sources, filtered by country or specific category, so you know where to look for perspectives. ### Filter Complex Data Sets Narrow search results using multiple parameters like keywords, geography, and source type simultaneously. ## Use Cases ### Verifying a Corporate Timeline A researcher needs to prove when three different companies started discussing carbon credits. They ask their agent using `get_news` for articles concerning 'carbon credit policy' published between 2018-06-01 and 2021-03-31. The agent returns specific article links, allowing the researcher to build a verifiable timeline. ### Competitive Edge Monitoring A marketing analyst is tracking their main competitor's strategy. They use the MCP to run live searches on articles mentioning the competitor plus 'patent filing.' This allows them to monitor shifts in market focus as they happen, without manual monitoring. ### Building a Deep Dive Report A journalist is writing about global food security. First, they use `list_sources` to find local and international news outlets covering agriculture. Then, they run multiple searches using `get_news` across different regions (e.g., 'Nile River' from Africa; 'Wheat yield' from Europe) to create a comprehensive report. ### Content Topic Brainstorming A content creator wants fresh material for a newsletter. They ask their agent for the top 10 trending articles worldwide in the 'space travel' category and then use advanced filtering to narrow it down to only sources published within the last 48 hours. ## Benefits - Stop wasting time jumping between news sites. You ask your agent for a topic and get curated results from thousands of sources instantly. - Track complex narratives over time. Need to know how the conversation around AI changed between January and March? Use the historical search function to build precise timelines. - Get immediate source awareness. Before you write anything, run `list_sources` to see every major publisher available for your query, ensuring diverse perspectives. - Filter like a pro. You can combine multiple criteria—like 'Tech news' AND 'Asia' AND 'English language'—to cut through the noise and get exactly what matters. - It centralizes global intelligence. Instead of juggling 20 tabs, you manage all your data requests through one conversation with your AI client. ## How It Works The bottom line is that your agent handles the complexity of querying thousands of sources and returns only the specific news data you asked for. 1. Subscribe to the Mediastack MCP on Vinkius and provide your access key. 2. Connect this MCP to your preferred AI client (like Cursor or Claude). 3. Tell your agent what you need—for example, 'Find all articles about renewable energy from Germany published last quarter.' ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can I use Mediastack MCP for news outside English?** Yes, you can search by country and language. You can filter results using the `get_news` tool to ensure you pull articles from specific linguistic regions. **How far back in time can I go with Mediastack MCP?** The system supports querying historical archives by date range. Just make sure you define the exact start and end dates when using `get_news` to track past events. **What is the first thing I should do with Mediastack MCP?** Before searching for specific topics, run `list_sources`. This shows you every publisher available, letting you understand the breadth of perspectives before you write your query. **Does Mediastack MCP only handle breaking news?** No. While it handles live feeds, its strength is historical context. You can use `get_news` to track how a story evolved over weeks or even years. **Do I need special programming knowledge for Mediastack MCP?** Nope. You interact with it using natural language prompts through your AI agent, making the entire process conversational and zero-code.