About the Bay Area Telegraph and How to Contact Us
The Bay Area Telegraph covers news, food, and travel for the San Francisco Bay Area. We focus especially on the 925 region (Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, Concord, Danville, Tri-Cities and Tri-Valley) and the City of San Francisco.
In addition, we provide travel coverage for destinations throughout California and Hawaii.
We are an independent, editorial newsroom providing original news reporting and photography.
You may review our Editorial Policies here.
Accreditations and Memberships
Our staff are members of organizations including:
- National Press Photographers Association
- Digital Media Licensing Association
We are a proud member of the Lafayette, California Chamber of Commerce.
Our Mission
In the 19th century, the invention of the telegraph revolutionized the news industry. Information could suddenly flow at the speed of light, and even in remote places, this new technology allowed people to get useful information quickly. The telegraph also allowed and encouraged people to learn about far-off places, and then to travel there themselves.
Today, algorithmic news, aggregator services, mobile devices, video streaming services, and other new technologies are again revolutionizing both information and travel. You can find us on Newsbreak, MSN, Flipboard, Nextdoor and many other aggregators and services–our news and coverage travels far and wide.
The Bay Area Telegraph’s mission is to leverage these new technological advances, bringing travel information for Bay Area visitors, food, culture, activities and more to our readers, wherever and whenever they consume information. Our goal is to keep this a free service, so that everyone has access to our reporting and advice.
We’re locals who love the Bay Area, California and Hawaii. We want to share it with you.
Staff and Writers
We welcome submissions from the community. Our leadership, advisors and key writers are listed below.
Thomas Smith, Editor in Chief
Thomas Smith is Editor in Chief of the Bay Area Telegraph. Smith brings rich experience as a professional news photographer who has spent 5+ years covering the Bay Area, as well as a writer for Bay Area and national publications including FastCompany, SFGate, the Bold Italic and NewsBreak. As CEO of Gado Images, a social enterprise digitizing the world’s visual history, Smith has extensive experience working with newspapers, news photos, and Bay Area institutions.
Smith holds a degree in cultural anthropology and cognitive science from the Johns Hopkins University.
You can learn more about Smith on his LinkedIn page. More information about Gado Images is available on the Gado Images website.
Amy Fischer Smith, Managing Editor
Amy Fischer Smith is the Managing Editor of Bay Area Telegraph. She is a Bay Area communications and marketing professional and a co-founder of Gado Images. LinkedIn
At Bay Area Telegraph, Amy oversees story development for our travel, marketing, and brand/partner relationships.
Contributing writers
Selected contributing writers are listed below. Many of our contributors are community members, freelancers, and local leaders. Our collaborative and community coverage is published under our Bay Area Telegraph Editorial Team byline.
Richard Eber
Richard Eber is a local journalist and longtime East Bay food writer whose work includes restaurant reviews and community commentary.
Tvisha Grover
Tvisha Grover is an emerging journalist passionate about local reporting. She often covers businesses and community culture across the Bay Area.
Derek Souza
Derek Souza is a writer who contributes features and explainers, with interests ranging from local life to Bay Area attractions.
Bay Area Telegraph Editorial Team
Some stories run under our Editorial Team byline. These pieces represent collaborative reporting and editing by multiple members of our staff, as well as stories contributed by community members, local leaders, and freelance contributors.
Contact Us
You can email the Bay Area Telegraph at tom@bayareatelegraph.com
You can also send us mail at:
Bay Area Telegraph C/O Ts Tech Solutions LLC
2603 Camino Ramon
Suite 200
San Ramon, CA 94549
Tips and Submissions
Have a news tip? Want to submit an article to the Bay Area Telegraph? We are open to both tips and submissions. Please email us at the address listed above.