New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-25
Clean Advertising
Campaign Winning
Many Publishers
Association Committee Re-
ports Recruits to
Movement
Closer Watch Urged
Elimination of Questionable
Business Is Found
Profitable
Closer Watch Urged

Newspapers publishers arc gradually
Joining the clean advertisement move
ment. according TO the fourth annual
report made yesterday to the Ameri-
can Newspaper Publishers Association
by its committee in charge Of the
Bureau Of Advertising The report
said:
The question Of undesirable adver-
Using is still broadly discussed and
during the year a number OF publish
ers Joined the clean up movement.
Your committee recognizes a diver
eence Of opinion as to what constitutes
undesirable advertising, but it is none
the less constrained again TO draw the
serious attention Of publishers TO the
necessity for closer censorship Of their
columns. Newspapers that have elimi-
mated certain forms of copy TO which
objection has been raised report their
ability 10 make up for the temporary
loss Of business by attracting other
advertising that is undeniably good.
Argument for Competitors
ct is a significant fact that Compel
tors Of the newspapers repeatedly draw
the attention Of advertisers TO the So
called Objectionable advertising ir
our columns.
zone illustration will suffice: An
advertiser Of a food product receives
periodical communications from bill
posting interests, enclosing a copy OF
his newspaper advertisement printed
alongside another advertisement claSsei
By some newspapers as undeslrablr,
with the comment, IF you used bill
posting you would escape company lhe
this
Summing up its recommendations,
your committee can 40 no better than
10 call your attention 10 the following,
which the bureau keeps standing ana
prints at the foot of all It's bulletins:
Every time a newspaper prints
free reader or a piece of free pub
LEFTY. cuts its advertising rate, or
grants a secret concession TO an agent
or advertiser, misrepresents its clrcul9-
ton. maligns a competitor or knowing
" prints an advertisement containing
q false statement, 1t does direct IN
Jury TO the entire newspaper business.
Found Tribune Plan Good
The Lexington (Ky0 DAILY Leader
after a test of eighteen months, has
/ found to be an overwhelming success
/ its adoption Of The New York Trib-
une's policy Of clean advertising. After
/ throwing out all questionable advertls-
ing the paper has increased its profits,
extended its circulation and obtained
a wider and better class of readers
Harry Giovannoli. the editor and
manager who is here attending the an
nual meeting Of The Associated Press,
said Yesterday that he believed the
clean-newspaper policy was bound TO
spread throughout the country.
"A year and a half ago we decided 10
emulate The New York Tribune" he
said. I'VE agreed to make a thorough
/ lob Of it. We threw out advertising re-
/ lating TO beer, whiskey, fake medicines,
get-rich-quick schemes and all other
shady propositions.
aside from its being good morals,
we concluded it would be good bust
ness. II was unheard Of 10 throw out
WllEkeN ADVERTISEMENTS III htuLuNhl .
Some newspapers thought we were
committing hara-kiri But we stuck
to our plan.
Space Gained in Value
! "The result justified our hope. The
reading public approved Of 1t. The abb
sence of whiskey advertisements was
refreshing. The other advertisements
became more convincing. There grew
up a spirit of confidence between read
ers and merchants The merchants
/ themselves became more conscientious
in describing what they had to sell.
Our circulation increased We appealed
to a better class of readers. Our ad-
vertising space became more valuable.
Next year we will increase the
rate. Foreign advertising came in at
a rate unknown before. In the last
eighteen months we have refused more
than $4,000 worth of advertising. Ina
spite Of this we showed a net gam in
profits.
"Once tried. the clean-advertising
policy will never be abandoned. 1t is
good business. The wide-awake papers
will come to it sooner or later, and the
sooner the better"