{"id":85023,"date":"2026-10-15T00:29:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T04:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=85023"},"modified":"2026-10-15T00:29:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T04:29:48","slug":"share-your-story-join-the-lakeland-gazette-as-a-citizen-reporter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2026\/10\/15\/share-your-story-join-the-lakeland-gazette-as-a-citizen-reporter\/","title":{"rendered":"Share Your Story: Join the Lakeland Gazette as a Citizen Reporter!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"2e405b\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #2e405b;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" src=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/images-1-8.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-85024 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/images-1-8.webp 480w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/images-1-8-300x169.webp 300w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are you passionate about what happens in Lakeland and across Polk County? Do you follow local city commission meetings, neighborhood developments, local utility policies, or community welfare initiatives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The <em>Lakeland Gazette<\/em> is looking for community members, freelance writers, and aspiring journalists to join our team of Citizen Reporters!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you want to write regular updates or contribute occasional photos and news briefs, your voice can help keep our community informed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What We\u2019re Looking For:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Civic &amp; Municipal News:<\/strong> Summaries of city and county commission meetings, zoning updates, road closures, and public infrastructure projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community &amp; Environment:<\/strong> Coverage of local initiatives, energy and water resource issues, and animal welfare\/TNVR programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Neighborhood &amp; Local Business:<\/strong> New business openings, neighborhood events, and community profiles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Photo &amp; Tip Submissions:<\/strong> On-the-scene photos and quick leads regarding breaking local updates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Get Started:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Send a brief email introducing yourself and the topics you\u2019re interested in covering to <strong><code><a href=\"mailto:lakelandgazette@gmail.com\">lakelandgazette@gmail.com<\/a><\/code><\/strong>. We look forward to hearing from you soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dedbd8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dedbd8;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/di01167-txt-citizen-journalism-views-frits-ahlefeldt.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-85025 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/di01167-txt-citizen-journalism-views-frits-ahlefeldt.webp 1024w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/di01167-txt-citizen-journalism-views-frits-ahlefeldt-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/di01167-txt-citizen-journalism-views-frits-ahlefeldt-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/di01167-txt-citizen-journalism-views-frits-ahlefeldt-768x768.webp 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also reach out or send mail to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lakeland Gazette<\/strong> 2121 New Tampa Hwy N16 Lakeland, FL 33815<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Website: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelandgazette.info\">https:\/\/www.lakelandgazette.info<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Citizen Reporter Guidelines Document<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Lakeland Gazette \u2014 Contributor &amp; Citizen Reporter Guidelines<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Our Mission:<\/strong> To provide clear, reliable, and hyper-local coverage of civic affairs, community updates, and neighborhood stories in Lakeland and Polk County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Types of Content We Accept<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>News Briefs (150\u2013300 words):<\/strong> Quick recaps of local news, public alerts, or upcoming community events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Meeting &amp; Civic Summaries (300\u2013500 words):<\/strong> Neutral, accurate summaries of city council, county commission, or planning board meetings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Feature Articles (400\u2013600 words):<\/strong> In-depth coverage of local organizations, environmental and utility developments, or community initiatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Photos &amp; Media:<\/strong> High-resolution original photography with proper captions (Who, What, Where, When).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Reporting &amp; Editorial Standards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Accuracy &amp; Verification:<\/strong> Double-check dates, official spelling of names, titles, and public data before submitting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Neutral Tone:<\/strong> Stick to verified facts when covering municipal policy or community debates. If presenting an opinion or editorial perspective, clearly label it as a <strong>Commentary<\/strong> or <strong>Op-Ed<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Primary Sources:<\/strong> Whenever possible, cite official documents, public meeting records, or direct statements from local stakeholders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transparency:<\/strong> Disclose any personal interest or affiliation with a subject, organization, or board mentioned in your article.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Submission Checklist<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When submitting an article to <strong><code><a href=\"mailto:lakelandgazette@gmail.com\">lakelandgazette@gmail.com<\/a><\/code><\/strong>, please include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Proposed Headline &amp; Byline (your name as you&#8217;d like it credited).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Article text in the email body or attached document (.docx).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Original photos (if applicable) attached as standard image files (JPEG OR PNG) with photographer credit and caption info.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A 1\u20132 sentence author bio for new contributors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Join the Lakeland Gazette as a citizen reporter and share hyper-local news, civic updates, and neighborhood stories across Lakeland and Polk 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