Send news and obituaries to news@observernews˳net
Download our Writing an Effective Press Release here˳
Download our 2019 Guidelines for Submitting News here˳
Download our Letter to the Editor Policy here˳
Welcome to The Observer News family of newspapers˳ Our goal is to reach all of South Hillsborough County with your community news and events in a timely manner˳ As a community newspaper we welcome your input and offer the following information to help make the process smooth and problem-free˳
Things you need to know:
• Press releases are free, however, they are used on a space availability basis˳ We make every effort to include each submitted news article, and nearly every week we accomplish this˳ Paid advertising will always take precedence over free submissions˳ Our method of selection includes: The timeliness of the event (ie: if the event is a month away we may hold your article to make space for other events happening sooner), and the clarity of the submission˳ If your news article includes all the necessary information it will reduce the time our editing staff must spend on readying it for press˳
• Deadlines: The deadline to submit a free press release is every Thursday at 4 p˳m˳ The deadline for a paid advertisement is every Friday at 11 a˳m˳, with exceptions on holidays for both˳
• Methods of submitting your news:
- The preferred method is email and preferably pasted in the body of the email itself rather than attached˳ Send the article to news@observernews˳net, or,
- Fax your release to 813-645-4118, or,
- Mail to The Observer News, 210 Woodland Estates Ave˳, SW, Ruskin, FL 33570˳
• If you want to provide a photograph, make sure it is of the highest quality possible˳ With today’s digital cameras it’s easy to send a photo via email˳ If you only have a printed photo, you can mail or bring in the photo and we will scan it˳ If you scan the photo yourself, don’t try to edit or correct˳ Give us your instructions and we will make the adjustments for you˳
• Announcements of events that are upcoming will take precedence over items that have already happened, although we do our best to include both˳
• You may request that your article be published more than one time˳ Make this request clear and in writing, or re-submit the article each week˳ There is no guarantee that it will run additional times˳
Guidelines for writing a press release:
• Brevity is always appreciated˳ Your event has a better chance of being published right away if it is 150 words or less˳
• Always remember to include the five Ws: who, what, when, where and why˳
• Include a photo or illustration when available˳ (See above instructions for submitting)˳
• Start your article by announcing the event, date and time˳ This should all be declared within the first paragraph˳
• If the event requires early reservations, make that clear to us so we don’t just look at the date of the event and assume it should run that week˳
• Include contact information so readers can ask questions if needed˳ Include a web address or email˳
• Is there a cost for the event? Should attendees bring anything with them? Is the event open to everyone, or is it exclusive to a club, group or community? Include everything that is pertinent˳
• When you have finished, read the article as if you are new to the area and know nothing about your neighborhood˳ Does it tell you everything you need to know? Who, what, when, where, why, and sometimes how?
• Save space and time by leaving out unnecessary comments like “everyone had a fun time,” or “the menu included…˳”
• While we appreciate every submission from groups in the communities we serve, we do not byline submissions˳ In the interest of space, that privilege is reserved for paid writers and columnists˳
- Letters to the Editor MUST include the writer’s full name, address, and other contact information (only your name and town will appear in print and online)˳ We will NOT accept a letter from an unidentified source˳
- Letters should be no more than 200 words˳
- Letters may be edited by our staff for length, clarity and facts˳
- The Observer News will only print letters that address a specific issue or article that may be of interest to the bulk of our readers˳
- Submit Letters to: chere@observernews˳net, fax to 813-645-4118 or mail to The Observer News, 210 Woodland Estates Ave˳ SW, Ruskin, FL 33570˳
We will not print material that is:
- Potentially libelous
Libel is any malicious, unsubstantiated or untrue statement about someone that damages their reputation˳
- Discriminatory on any grounds
This includes discrimination based on age, ability, gender, religion or culture˳
- Obscene
This includes any statement that is vulgar, profane or offensive˳
- Threatening
This includes personal attacks, intimidation, bullying or threat of harm against a person or organization˳
- Copyrighted or printed in another publication
All Letters must be an original writing by the signer and exclusive to The Observer News˳
- Promotional
You may submit a letter commending an act of kindness or the honesty of a local business or person (with their permission) as a way to recognize and applaud an effort˳ However, a Letter to the Editor is not an opportunity to promote a business, service or product˳ If you’d like to promote a business, service or product, refer to our advertising rates and deadlines˳
Personal information
You must provide your full name, address and contact information upon submission (see above)˳
If your letter identifies another person, you must ask for their permission before submitting˳ We assume upon submission that you have consent from everyone mentioned˳
Copyright and reprint permission
The writer of a Letter to the Editor maintains copyright of their letter˳ Any other individual or organization must seek permission from the writer if they wish to reprint a Letter to the Editor˳
