First Front Page Ad.

Having an ad on the front page of a newspaper is not news. In researching this I found that the front page of the New York Herald in the 1890s contained no news at all. The first two or three pages of the Herald were typically devoted to classified advertising, including personal advertisements that were sometimes fairly risqué. The USA Today has been offering this space for years. In January of this year the New York Times began to offer front-page advertising space. This week, The Leader-Herald has opened up the front page for a strip ad on the bottom and a post-a-note in the top right hand corner. Let me say that this was not readily acceptable to all in the newspaper industry or at this local newspaper. Many journalists believe these ads violate the purity of page one and what has been a wall between news and business. Our newsroom wasn’t crazy about it but worked to keep the flow of news content that is important for all our readers. We will be looking at other “creative” ways for our supporting advertisers to display their message, to me it’s actually fun. Our businesses are as important as our local news and community activity coverage. I have always believed that a local newspapers appeal to its readers is the mirror image of local life, including its local business.