The short answer
Every outlet in Palm Beach County has its own front door. Magazines want short query letters months ahead, television stations take tips by phone, form or email and some hyper-local sites charge businesses to run a press release. Pitch each outlet the way it asks, time the story to its schedule and treat every placement as earned, never promised.
Know what is earned and what is paid
Earned coverage is a story an editor chose to run. Paid placement is advertising formatted as news. BocaNewsNow, for example, publishes business press releases through a paid form while nonprofits submit by email. Both can be useful, but only earned coverage carries an editor's judgment, and readers can usually tell the difference.
Magazines
The county's magazines plan months ahead and want concise, specific pitches. Palm Beach Illustrated takes query letters only, Boca magazine routes pitches by section and closes arts listings three months out, and Palm Beach Society builds its weekly in-season covers around charitable organizations.
| Outlet | What it covers | How it takes stories |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach Illustrated | Island and regional life; debuted in 1952 and publishes 11 times a year | A concise query letter to the editorial director; no unsolicited manuscripts or photos; events through Submit Event |
| Boca magazine | Dining and fashion through more substantive local issues and trends | Print queries by email to the editor-in-chief; arts and entertainment items about three months before publication; party photos to the web editor |
| Palm Beach Society | Weekly covers from early October through late April, each paired with a charitable organization and event | A contact form and its published info address; no formal submission process described |
| The Coastal Star | A monthly covering the coastal neighborhoods of Boca Raton and Delray Beach | News submissions by email to its newsroom |
Newspapers and online news
The Palm Beach Post and the Palm Beach Daily News are Gannett papers in the USA TODAY Network, and both help centers direct story ideas to their staff directories. Pitch the reporter who covers your area or industry. Stet News and the Boca Raton Tribune take tips and releases by email.
- Palm Beach Post: story ideas through the staff directory linked from its help center
- Palm Beach Daily News: the same Gannett help center route to its staff directory
- Stet News: a nonprofit newsroom covering Palm Beach County only, taking tips by email
- The Boca Raton Tribune: all editorial ideas and press releases by email, no phone calls
- BocaNewsNow: paid business press releases; government and nonprofit announcements by email
Television
Each station publishes its own tip route. WPTV takes story ideas by phone and an online form, WPBF takes news tips by phone, by email and through a photo and video upload, and CBS12 asks for every press release at a single news tips inbox. Send visuals and a ready spokesperson with the pitch.
| Station | Where it is | How it takes tips |
|---|---|---|
| WPTV | Banyan Boulevard, West Palm Beach | Phone and an online story idea form |
| WPBF 25 | RCA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens | Phone, news@wpbf.com and a photo and video upload |
| CBS12 (WPEC) | Fairfield Drive, West Palm Beach | All press releases to newstips@cbs12.com, plus a separate tipline |
Community channels that lead to coverage
Local press often follows local presence. Chambers, downtown authorities and the charity calendar put a business in front of the people reporters already talk to. Several of these channels are free or come with membership, and they reward businesses that show up consistently over years.
- The West Palm Beach DDA shares downtown businesses' promotions and anniversaries for free through its newsletter, website and social media
- The Greater Boca Raton Chamber's leads groups meet twice a month, one business per category
- The Palm Beach Chamber's Palm Beach Guide reaches more than 15,000 residents and every guest room at The Breakers, with advertising open to members
- Boca magazine's Charity Register each September maps the season's major fundraisers
- A charity event in the Town of Palm Beach needs a charitable solicitation permit before invitations go out
How to pitch so editors answer
Lead with what is new, say why it matters locally and make it easy to say yes. A short pitch to the right person, sent through the route the outlet asks for, beats a long release sent everywhere. Have photos, facts and a spokesperson ready before you hit send.
- One sentence that states the news, then two or three that prove it
- A local angle tied to a place, a season or a community the outlet covers
- Images you have the rights to and permission for, including from anyone pictured
- A spokesperson who is reachable the same day
- Timing built backward from the outlet's lead time, months for magazines and days for television
- Nothing promised to a client that only an editor can decide
Frequently asked
Use each station's published route. CBS12 asks for all press releases at newstips@cbs12.com, WPBF takes news tips at news@wpbf.com and by phone and WPTV takes story ideas by phone and through an online form. Keep the pitch short, lead with what is happening and when, and offer visuals and a spokesperson who can talk that day.
Not automatically. The Post is a Gannett newspaper in the USA TODAY Network, and its help center directs people with local story ideas to its staff directory. Editors choose what to cover based on news value. Send a short, specific pitch to the reporter who covers your industry or area rather than a generic release to every address you can find.
Only if you understand what you are buying. Some local sites, such as BocaNewsNow, publish business press releases as a paid service, which guarantees placement but carries the credibility of advertising. Earned coverage costs nothing to run and carries an editor's judgment, but it is never guaranteed. Many announcements deserve one paid placement and a separate earned pitch with a real story.
Earlier than you think. Boca magazine closes its arts and entertainment section about three months before publication, Palm Beach Illustrated publishes 11 times a year and Palm Beach Society runs weekly covers only from early October through late April. Television and online outlets move in days. Build the calendar backward from the date that matters.
Sources
- Palm Beach Illustrated: Contact
- Palm Beach Illustrated: About
- Boca magazine: Contact
- Palm Beach Society: Cover schedule
- The Coastal Star: Contact
- The Palm Beach Post Help Center
- Palm Beach Daily News Help Center
- Stet News: Contact
- The Boca Raton Tribune: Contact
- BocaNewsNow: Press releases
- WPTV: Contact the station
- WPBF 25: Contact
- CBS12: Station contact
- West Palm Beach DDA: Promotion forms
- Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce: Palm Beach Guide