Get featured in Chicago Tribune
Chicago stories, written to the Tribune's standard
We write a custom feature about you and manage the placement. You approve every word before it goes live.
- You approve every word
- Unlimited revisions
- Reply within 24 hours
How do I get featured in Chicago Tribune?
We develop your story, write the feature to editorial standard, and manage the placement. You approve every word before anything goes live.
About Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune was founded in 1847 and describes itself as the largest newspaper in the Midwest. It lists 29 Pulitzer Prizes across its history and covers news, business, sports, opinion and things to do across Chicago and its suburbs.
Why a feature here matters
The Tribune describes itself as the largest newspaper in the Midwest, so a feature there puts you in front of Chicago-area customers, employers, investors and civic leaders in a title they already read.
Best for: Chicago and Illinois founders, business owners, physicians, lawyers, civic and nonprofit leaders, and experts with a local angle.
How coverage happens at Chicago Tribune
There are two ways in. You can approach the Tribune yourself: email reporters through the addresses on their stories and author bios, send a 600 to 900-word op-ed to commentary@chicagotribune.com, or a letter of up to 400 words to letters@chicagotribune.com. That route is free, but it is slow, the editors decide what runs, and the Tribune says it only replies to op-ed writers it plans to publish. The second way is to work with DNA. We develop the angle with you, write the feature to the Tribune's standard, and manage the placement. You approve every word before it goes live.
The kind of story that lands
The Tribune is a Chicago paper first, so the story needs a real local stake. Its business pages suit a founder or executive explaining what a city or state decision means for employers, customers or jobs. Its opinion pages want expert analysis and well-written essays, not advocacy for your own organisation. Its suburban coverage suits businesses and leaders rooted in a particular community, and Things to Do suits venues, restaurants and cultural organisations with something genuinely new. Strong pieces carry named people, local numbers and a clear reason a Chicago reader should care now. National commentary with a Chicago name added, which the Tribune calls superficially localised, does not fit.
How to Get Featured in the Chicago Tribune
To get featured in the Chicago Tribune, you either give its reporters a story they want to cover, submit an op-ed or letter that its opinion editors choose to publish, or have a feature developed and placed with professional help. The Tribune is unusually clear about its opinion rules: op-eds go to commentary@chicagotribune.com, and letters go to letters@chicagotribune.com.
The do-it-yourself routes are free, but the editors decide what runs. DNA offers another way in: we develop the story with you, write it to the Tribune's standard, manage the placement, and you approve every word before it goes live.
What the Chicago Tribune is
The Chicago Tribune was founded in 1847 and describes itself as the largest newspaper in the Midwest, with a mission to deliver the truth every day. It lists 29 Pulitzer Prizes across its history. Its publisher, Par Ridder, oversees news, opinion and business functions for the Tribune, six other dailies, Chicago Magazine and 33 weeklies across the metropolitan area. Mitch Pugh is executive editor, Chris Jones is editorial page editor and Stacy St. Clair is managing editor.
What the Chicago Tribune covers
The site is organised around News, Local News, Suburbs, Business, Sports, Opinion, Things to Do, Advice and Obituaries, with a Spanish-language section and links to suburban titles such as the Naperville Sun, Aurora Beacon-News and Daily Southtown. Its opinion section carries editorials, commentary and letters. Coverage is rooted in Chicago and Illinois, from city politics and the suburbs to the city's teams.
How to get featured in the Chicago Tribune
For news coverage, the Tribune's contact page says staff email addresses are listed on stories and on reporters' author bios, and it keeps a separate page of suburban contacts. That is the practical route for a story tip or press release: find the reporter who covers your subject, read what they have written, and send a short, specific note with the facts and a local reason to care. We found no general news tip form, event submission form or press release address on the site.
How to submit an op-ed to the Chicago Tribune
The Tribune publishes detailed guidelines. Submissions are emailed to commentary@chicagotribune.com, and the key rules are:
- Op-eds run from 600 to 900 words, and only finished drafts are considered, not idea pitches.
- Include a short note with your name, address, phone number and credentials for the subject.
- Pieces must be exclusive to the Tribune and not previously published anywhere, including Substack and other newsletter sites.
- No pieces generated or edited by AI to any degree, and bylines are limited to four people.
- If you do not hear back within three business days, the Tribune has passed and you are free to submit elsewhere.
The Tribune says it wants insightful commentary on the issues of the day, well-written essays and well-reasoned expert analysis. It does not want tirades, direct rebuttals of its own articles, or self-serving advocacy pieces. You need expertise in the subject or, for an essay, direct personal experience.
How to submit a letter to the editor
Letters of no more than 400 words go to letters@chicagotribune.com, typed into the email rather than attached, or through the form on the Tribune's letters page. Sign with your full name and include your city, state and phone number for verification; anonymous letters are not published. The Tribune looks for timely responses to current events and to its own coverage, observations about local life, and personal stories that will resonate with readers.
Obituaries and death notices
News obituaries are written by Tribune staff. Death notices are a separate product placed through the Tribune's classifieds team, and its contact page links to the form for submitting one.
What makes a strong piece for the Tribune
Local relevance is the first test. A Chicago founder on what a city policy means for small employers, a physician on a public health issue in Illinois, or a business owner explaining a change in the suburbs all fit. Generic national commentary with a Chicago name attached does not, and the Tribune explicitly rejects pieces that are only superficially localised. For a national comparison, see how stories are shaped for USA Today.
How the process works
With DNA, the work runs in four steps. We check whether your story has a real Chicago or Illinois angle and say so if it does not. You share the substance. We draft the feature to the Tribune's standard and revise it with you. Once you approve every word, we manage the placement and send you the live link.
How long it takes
Expect weeks rather than days for a feature, allowing for the angle, drafting, your review and the placement.
How we get you in Chicago Tribune
Questions about Chicago Tribune
Is the Chicago Tribune coverage a real, published feature?
Yes. It is a genuine article published on the outlet, written about you and your work — not an ad you design yourself.
How long does it take?
Most placements take weeks rather than days. We give you a realistic timeline for Chicago Tribune before we start, and never promise a date we cannot control.
What if I am not happy with the draft?
You review and revise until it is right. Nothing publishes without your approval.
How do I submit an op-ed to the Chicago Tribune?
Email a finished draft of 600 to 900 words to commentary@chicagotribune.com with a short note giving your name, address, phone number and credentials. It must be exclusive and written without AI. If there is no reply within three business days, the Tribune has passed.
How do I submit a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune?
Email up to 400 words to letters@chicagotribune.com, in the body of the email, or use the form on the letters page. Include your full name, city, state and phone number.
Can I submit a press release or news tip to the Chicago Tribune?
The Tribune does not publish a general tip line or press release address on its contact page. It says staff email addresses appear on stories and author bios, so send news to the reporter who covers your subject.