Jewish Press Group of Tampa Bay, Inc.

Press Release Guidelines

The Jewish Press of Tampa Bay/Pinellas Edition and the Jewish Press of Tampa Bay/Tampa Edition publish information of interest to the Jewish community, primarily information that is not found in the general media such as events at synagogues and Jewish organizations and items specifically related to the Jewish community.

To send information to the paper email news@jewishpresstampabay.com or mail to: Jewish Press, 6416 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33707.   We do not accept information by phone.  To download this page click here.

In all press releases, enough information should be provided so that someone reading the article unfamiliar with your organization or event will understand what you’re writing about. Use the third person (Example: The (group name) will meet at the Center …” not “We will meet …”) Do not use superlatives or informal language you use in your newsletters or flyers.

All press releases are edited. While you should include as much detail as you think necessary, space restrictions may require cutting.

In every story or press release, the most important thing to remember is to include the 4 Ws — Who (Hadassah, B’nai Brith, etc.), What (regular meeting, donor luncheon, etc), Where (the JCC, XYZ Hotel, etc.) and When (date, day and time).

A fifth W — Why — may also be an essential element of the article. The “why” could include the purpose of the meeting, say to honor a longtime member or listen to a guest speaker.

Sometimes we need an H too – as in How much? If food or drink is offered at an event, we need to know if it is free, and if not, what the cost will be for adults and kids, members and guests.

The Jewish Press will make every effort to run an item at least once (more if possible) prior to an event. You may request that the item run in both the Jewish Press of Pinellas County and the Jewish Press of Tampa if the event or organization crosses county lines. The decision on whether to run an item in both editions is made based on its relevancy to both counties, and whether running the item would appear to be a conflict of interest with a similar organization in the other county (ie-Federation campaign events, synagogue news).

 • CONTACT PERSON: All press releases should include the name, phone number and email of a contact person in case the Jewish Press has questions or readers need to get directions, RSVP, etc. Particularly since the information is now going on the website as well as in print, the Jewish Press WILL NOT publish home addresses.

 • PHOTOGRAPHS: Photos definitely enhance an article. Black and white or COLOR are acceptable. If color photographs are to be sent, remember dark colors convert to black. Photos may be sent by mail or e-mailed in JPG, TIF, or EPS format at the highest resolution possible (a good gauge is a minimum of 300 dpi for an image 4 inches wide).

The images should be sharp, not blurred or extremely dark. Photographs should have a clear focal point. Candid or action shots are usually better than photographs that are posed. All photographs should be accompanied by caption information. If a person or persons are recognizable, they should be identified. The Jewish Press cannot guarantee the photo will be returned.

• DEADLINES: Generally, the deadline for submission of an article is 14 days prior to the publication date. A list of deadlines and publication dates can be downloaded at the link above.

In planning your publicity schedule, you should keep in mind the variances in delivery time of the online version and print edition. While information will be placed on the website almost immediately after the publication date, the paper has no control over some aspects of the print edition production and mailing, particularly delivery by the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, the paper will not print items for events happening less than a week after the publication date.