Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-08-09
FREE ADVERTISING


The following editorial taken from
the Stevens Point Journal is a correct |
statement of the facts experienced by
every newspaper Office in the state.
We endorse every statement made
therein as being our personal expert
ence. There is only one way to cor
rect this and that is for every news
paper, whether Daily or Weekly, to
absolutely refuse to publish any form
of free advertising. Each editor
should be liberal in free publicity to
caritable and other similar institu-
tions. There are certain benefits and
church and public service institutions
that should receive free publicity, but
the advertisement from any source,
for gain, should be charged for by the
newspapers. We append the following
editorial taken from the Stevens Point
Journal as appropriate to the matter
of free advertising:
It costs US money to run newspapers
1t takes real cash to meet payrolls
and to pay for stock and other items.
And the only way the publisher has
to get his money back is thru his
advertising. If his subscriptions bring
him in the cost of the white paper
only, he is fortunate. Advertising is
his only real stock in trade, just as
hardware is the stock intrade of one
dealer, and rugs, or furniture, or shoes
the stock in trade of another. The
publisher must sell his stock in trade.
He cannot afford to give it away, just
as other business men cannot afford to
donate shoes, or dresses, or suits.
Yet the newspapers are called up
on constantly for donations of their
space-their stock in trade. They
have been trained by years of habit
to do a great deal of giving, and they
expect to continue to give greatly and
willingly for public causes. But they
are compelled to draw the line between
the Space-giving they do voluntarily
and spontaneously, and the space-giv-
ing for which some one, usually for
commercial reasons asks. This morn
| ing there were in the Journals mail
eight applications for free advertising
They run from the request of the au-
tomobile manufacturer for a notice
about the wonderful performance of
his car to the brilliant schemes of in
| dlvlduals to save the country through
some special plan of their own for
which they want publicity with con-
spicuous mention of their names.
The first function of a newspaper is
to publish the news Of the community
and the world outside and to print
such comment as the editor believes
| timely on current events. Newspapers
the people Of the territory in which
they circulate. But they cannot af-
ford to print free advertising tend
ing to promote the sales of business
houses, or exploiting an idea out of
| which the inventor hopes to make
money or acquire reputation which he
may turn to profit. The editors own
idea of what may be interesting to his
readers is news; printed matter tend
ing to swell any PERSONS or corpora
tons receipts in advertising and
must be paid for. A self-respecting
newspaper nowadays does not permit
itself to be made the organ of free
advertising publicity, just as no sue
cessful merchant gives away his mer-
chandise. No business house which
makes a permanent policy of giving
away its stock in trade will remain in
bushes long.