Soft-launched in April 2020, during the COVID-19 growth cycle, the Tampa Free Press continues its digital growth with reach in 63 countries, and with a primary reach in the Tampa DMA at 97%.
While newspapers around the country are evolving to meet the needs of the ever-changing audience, Tampa Free Press, headquartered in Hillsborough County, Florida, is working for today and building for tomorrow.
A completely digital platform that focuses on issues of today, law enforcement, local news, national news, and technology, Tampa Free Press captures a younger audience where that audience is focused.
Advertisers will benefit from being on the ground floor of new advances in this space, and we look forward to working with them to help their businesses grow. We will update them via press releases about our launches of new advances in digital mobile.
Owner and Publisher – Brian Burns
Brian is a Former Publisher of The Tampa Tribune and has over 18 years of experience in the publishing business. Starting his career with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in the early 2000s, Brian worked his way to becoming the VP of Digital for North Jersey Media Group with the Record and Herald News in Bergen County, New Jersey.
Brian took over as Publisher of the Tampa Tribune in 2013 and stayed in that role until the company was sold to the Times in 2016. In early 2017, Brian took over the role as Publisher of Gannett’s The Ledger and News Chief in Polk County until late 2019, when he left to start his own venture.
Brian has a strong track record of increasing geographic reach, market penetration, and revenues and developing new technologies to create profit centers.
VP of Sales – Ron Moates
A long-time sales professional with over 20 years with the New York Times Group and Gatehouse Media, Ron brings a results-oriented media sales acumen and passion for crafting strategic partnerships to the Tampa Free Press.
Ron has a keen understanding of audience trends and a proven ability to help brands achieve maximum exposure through innovative media solutions.
Sports – Rock Riley
Rock Riley started working with The Free Press covering sports, namely The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in 2021.
In college, Jersey-born Rock Riley majored in communications but says he never set foot in a radio or TV studio while in school. His first on-air job, covering high school football for a local cable company, settled any doubts he may have had about what kind of career he wanted. It was definitely going to be sports broadcasting. He’s attended William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, and then St. Leo College after relocating to Florida.
In 1997, he became the weekend TV host of “The Sports Connection” on Bright House cable’s Bay News 9 and was later promoted to weekday anchor two years later. His Tampa Bay radio stints include work on WFLA, WDAE, and 98.7The Fan WHFS.
Rock has been a national sports reporter covering Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies and the All Star Game, the NBA finals, and numerous Super Bowls. One, in particular, stands out – Super Bowl XXXVII, the Tampa Bay Bucs’ win in 2003.
Riley exited the cable network in December 2016 and returned to radio July 3, 2017, as the afternoon drive host for sports/talk WHBO AM-1040 The Team.
Sports– Tom Layberger
Since getting his start as a freelance writer at the St. Petersburg Times in 1990, Tom has worked for Beckett Publishing, The Topps Company, the Versus Network, and the NBC Sports Network.
In addition to writing for the The Free Press, the University of South Florida grad and Tampa resident contributes to forbes.com and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine.
Agriculture – Brad Buck, University Of Florida UF/IFAS
Politics – Liam Edgar
Courts and Business – Deborah Childress
Deborah Childress has served as Legal News Journalist for The Free Press – Tampa since April 2020. She is the former Chief Writer for the “Business and Industry” feature of The Tampa Tribune, former freelance business writer for the Jacksonville Business Journal and Orlando Business Journal, and a writer featured in Bright Dark Nights of the Soul, a biographical recount of an East Kenyan scholar and refugee showcased in the Vatican library, Rome, Italy and sold through e-bookstores.
Local News
- Jake Grissom, jake@tampafp.com
- Maria Hernandez, maria@tampafp.com
- Danielle Shockey, danielle@tampafp.com
- Mike Jenkins, mike@tampafp.com
Copy Desk And Breaking News
- Jorge Borges, jorge@tampafp.com
- Liz Shultz, lizs@tampafp.com
- Bryan Vernard, bryan@tamapfp.com
Advertising Inquiries or Comments – admin@tampafp.com
PHONE: 813-279-1480
Mailing Address:
PO BOX 727
Land O’ Lakes, FL. 34639