Ads on the front page

Please pardon my idealism for a second:

A friend and I were talking about front-page ads today. A newspaper loses my respect when they run ads on the front, even one of the papers I used to work for.

My friend seemed to think that my stance is no longer practical nor important. He said even the NY Times is running front page (movie) ads.

What are the thoughts of the board? I know more and more papers are doing it, and I think I remember seeing something about movie ads on the front of The Times (I read online), but is it really becoming mainstream?

Obviously, many of the chains such as Gannett would like us to think that as they line their profit margins with front-page ads, but aren't you selling your integrity?

 

I agree with you, but I think that's a battle we've already lost. I think for many papers, it's not even about integrity anymore. It's about doing whatever is necessary to survive, and that means things like front-page ads, charging for obits/wedding announcements/etc.

 

I hate em. Our ME has fought against them for years and so far has won the battle. That being said, papers that have them, I tend to just overlook them now. It doesn't really do much to hurt the merits of the page.

 

Not a problem, as long as they're not intrusive. We have either zero, one or two on the front on any given day, but they don't get in the way and they don't shrink the page that badly, so it's not a big deal.

 

I'd tend to agree that as long as they aren't that intrusive, they are something you can live with.

There's a bi-weekly by me that used to put a 1 x 2 just under the masthead on the right hand side. In prime news space. I always thought that was completely stupid. They've since moved it up into the masthead.

For what it's worth, it is a JRC property.

 

Ours are an inch-high along the bottom of the front page and have to be an ad that appears nowhere else in the paper.

 

It's a battle we lost a couple years ago and costs us every year during award seasons, because the state association won't allow front page entries with ads on them.

 

Banner ad across the bottom of both A1 and sports front (usually B1).

Ear lugs sometimes on A1 and some other sections.

We've lost. Once the space is sold to advertisers, editorial can't buy it back.

 

Presented sans comment (click through to sports)

http://media.freep.com/documents/freep05212008/index.htm

 

Wow.

 

Jesus. I should be HAPPY with just a banner

 

It's only like that in sports, though. I wonder why no other section has an ad like that.