Got A Letter, Story, Photo, Or Event To Post On Patch? Here's How

NORTH JERSEY — Want to learn how to submit news tips or post a local event/classified on your local Patch? It's easier than you think!

(And if you want to subscribe to get either breaking news alerts in your town, or just a daily 6 a.m. roundup of your local news, input your email and zipcode here.)

At Patch, we believe that local news and information have the power to unite a community. We also believe in giving neighbors the power to tell their own stories and help keep each other informed about what’s happening at the local level.

There are a few different ways to reach out:

• In the Neighbor Posts section, you can ask a question, share a news tip, recommend something to your neighbors or start a local discussion. (You can also write a more traditional press release, column, letter to the editor or obituary in the form of an article.)
• On the Events calendar, you can add your own events to the local lineup.
• In the Classifieds marketplace, you can sell or give away your old stuff; find housing, tenants or roommates; find job candidates or offer your services; and make other local business announcements.

Log in or sign up to start posting. Or find out more about Patch’s various posting types below.

What to post where

Neighbor Posts

You want to post a:

• Question about your community
• News tip about something going on in the neighborhood
• Recommendation for a local business or service
• Opinion about a local issue
• Photo you took in town
• Other quick local updates

Post a Neighbor Post

The Neighbor Posts section is a community forum and social platform designed to connect you to other neighbors — as well as Patch reporters,local officials, nonprofits, businesses and experts in your area.

When you post in this section,your post will appear at the top of the Neighbor Posts page. If it
receives enough attention and engagement, it may likewise appear on the homepage for your community or in an email sent to local readers.

You can also reply to any other posts you see on Patch, to help answer your neighbors’ questions and participate in local discussions.

Keep your posts and replies local, clean, friendly and factual, in keeping with the Patch Community Guidelines. And to make Patch a better place for neighbors, please flag any other posts or replies that don't follow these rules.

Articles

You want to post a:

• Press release
• Column or op-ed
• Letter to the editor
• Obituary

Post an Article

You have the option to complete one additional verification step in order to post a press release, column, op-ed, letter to the editor or obituary in the form of an article.

When you publish an article on Patch, it will be labeled as “Neighbor News” and will show up in the Neighbor Posts section of your home community. If your local Patch editor sees fit, they can also choose to share it with nearby communities or include it in an email to readers.

Patch also welcomes vetted contributors interested in sharing their expertise and reporting on their communities more deeply. To apply, email [email protected] with a link to your Patch profile, some examples of your work and a few sentences on why you’d like to contribute.

Events

You want to post a:

• Fundraiser
• Yard sale
• Open house
• Festival or parade
• Other local activities

Post an Event

Adding your event to the Patch Community Calendar is a great way to boost attendance and let neighbors know about fun stuff happening near them. If the thing you’re posting about has a date and time, it should always be posted as an event.

Once posted, your event will appear in the main Calendar section for your community, and sometimes in other event preview sections across Patch and in emails to readers.

To boost your listing and give it extra visibility, you can also pay to promote it as “Featured” across the region. (Plus, your money will help support more local journalism in the communities you care about!)

Classifieds

You want to post about:

• Lost & found pets or other items
• Housing (seeking or offering)
• Gigs & services (seeking or offering)
• For sale items
• Free stuff you want to get rid of
• Announcement about your business or org

Post a Classified

The Classifieds section serves as a local marketplace where you can sell or give away your stuff, look for work, find roommates or tenants and make other local business announcements.

Once posted, your classified will appear in the main Classifieds section for your community, and sometimes in other preview sections across Patch and in emails to readers. Interested parties can use a contact form that will appear inside your post to email you directly about your offer.

To boost your listing and give it extra visibility, you can also pay to promote it as “featured” across the region.

Still have questions about posting on Patch? Read more in our FAQ section, or contact our support team anytime at [email protected].

HOW TO SUBMIT LOCAL NEWS TIPS AND PRESS RELEASES

News tips can be sent to your local Patch editor. If the tip/release is for Hoboken, Jersey City, Ridgewood, Wyckoff, or Mahwah, you can send it to [email protected].

• Including small attachments is fine, but PLEASE include all important information (except the photo) directly in the body of your email (so it can be easily "cut and pasted"). Format the press release just like any regular news article you see on your local Patch, without unusual line breaks.
• Include a single, high-quality photo or image (preferred format is a .jpg) attached, rather than in a separate file. We MUST also know to whom we should credit for the photo (you must own the rights or have permission to use it for a news article. If someone else took it with your phone, they still own the rights). And we must have the owner's permission to use it.
• Due to high volumes of submissions, it's not always possible to publish all releases or respond individually.

Welcome aboard, Patcher. We're excited to see what you have to say!