Get featured in Tallahassee Democrat

To get featured in the Tallahassee Democrat, you either give one of its reporters a local story worth covering, send a Zing, letter or guest column that the opinion desk decides to run, or have a feature developed and placed with professional help. Whichever route you take, the story needs a genuine Tallahassee or Big Bend angle, because that is what the paper exists to cover.

Pitching the newsroom yourself is free, but it is slow and the editors decide what runs. DNA offers another way in: we develop the story with you, write it to the Democrat's standard, manage the placement, and you approve every word before it goes live.

What the Tallahassee Democrat is

The Tallahassee Democrat is the long-established daily newspaper of Tallahassee, the capital of Florida. It is owned by Gannett and sits within the USA TODAY Network, which links it to local titles across Florida and the rest of the country and to the national paper. Its position in a capital city gives it a closer view of state government than most local dailies.

What the Tallahassee Democrat covers

The site is built around local news for Tallahassee, Leon County and the surrounding Big Bend: city and county government, schools, crime and courts, growth and the local economy. It follows Florida politics and the Legislature closely. Sport is a major draw, with coverage of Florida State and Florida A&M alongside high school teams. It also covers business, food, entertainment, health, opinion and obituaries.

How to get featured in the Tallahassee Democrat

For news coverage, find the reporter who covers your subject, read what they have written recently and send a short note with the facts and the local reason to care. The paper lists ways to contact its newsroom on its site, and bylines show who covers which beat. A pitch that names local people, places and consequences will travel further than a press release.

How to submit a Zing to the Tallahassee Democrat

Zing is a long-running Democrat feature that publishes short reader comments on local life, politics and the news, often with a wry edge. Readers send Zings through the route the paper lists on its site, and that page sets out how it works today, so check it before you send anything. Keep a Zing brief and to the point. It is a way to have your say, not a route to coverage of you or your business.

How to submit a letter or guest column

Longer opinion goes to the opinion desk through the route listed on its site, which sets out the current requirements. In general terms, a strong letter or guest column:

• Makes one clear argument about a Tallahassee or Florida issue in the news.
• Comes from someone with real expertise in, or experience of, the subject.
• Is a finished piece written for a general reader.
• Is offered to the Democrat alone rather than to several outlets at once.

What makes a strong piece for the Democrat

Local relevance is the first test. A founder on what a change in state policy means for small firms in the city, a physician on a public health issue in the Big Bend, or a restaurant owner explaining a change downtown all fit. Strong pieces carry named people, local detail and good timing. For a sense of how national stories are shaped differently, see the guide to USA Today, which sits in the same network.

How the process works

With DNA, the work runs in four steps. We check whether your story has a real Tallahassee angle and tell you plainly if it does not. You share the substance: what you do, what has changed and why it matters locally. We draft the feature to the Democrat'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. The angle, the drafting, your review and the placement all take time.