The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-05-06
FREE PUBLICITY-RECI-
PROCITY

PROCITY
One Of the most perplexing prob
lems of the country newspaper is free
publicity, and the exact point where
in the publisher can draw the line
and make it paying advertising. So
much has been written about, "the
freedom of the press" that many
people seem to have taken it literally
and lose no opportunity to test it out.
Free publicity is, as every editor
knows, nothing more or less than~the
donation of space, often on the front
page, by request, in which some
praiseworthy undertaking is extoll-
ed-pure advertising in story form.
Newspaper editors are glad to
write up stories and give publicity to
any worthy endeavor without COM
pensation, and without expectation
of thanks. 1t is a very mean man,
utterly devoid of community better
ment spirit, who will not take an in
terest in the charitable and, social
organizations of his town and lend
the aid Of his newspaper to the fur
herance of their endeavors. No editor
will refuse to publish advance stories
concerning high school play or
athletic event, religious benefits, lee
ture course numbers, club entertain
ments, ball games, etc. He does this
freely and gladly, realizing the diff
ferent organizations are for the bet
terment or interest of the community.
By these advance stories, the news
paper is very frequently responsible
for the financial success of the entire
undertaking. y
The editor expects neither thanks,
nor recompense for such. publicity,
but he does expect reciprocity, and
rightfully so. Most Of the entertain
ments and so forth, which are freely
advertised, have tickets or programs
or bills to be printed, and he feels that
in all fairness, he should be given the
work Sometimes, however, this
printing goes to some job shop which
has IN no way done anything toward
the success Of the entertainment, or
what not, having the printing done.
Just by way Of illustration, permit
US to bring to your attention one of
the many occurrences of this kind
coming to the editors notice almost
every day. A certain social organiza-
ton put on an entertainment for the
benefit of some cause or other, it
makes no difference what, and the one
in charge came around to the papers
and said: "Give us good write-up
on this, it's for the benefit of so-and-
SO and we want a large crowd out
Write it out yourself, but make it a
good one." The better part of hall
day was. spent writing the article
and it. was given a half or maybe g
full column on the front page, space
that it would have been impossible te
buy. The day after the story came
out, the person who had requested the
publicity came in and wanted te
know what it would cost to have
some tickets printed; was given &
price and said he would be back later
He did return, but to inform US thai
he could get the tickets printed at {
job shop for fifty cents less than oul
price. The whole job didn't amour
to much over $500, but it is the prin
ciple of the thing that ranked. L
the job had been done by another
newspaper, 1t would have been diff
ferent-we would not have had tina
hurt feeling which comes to one whel
he knows that he has not been fairl,
treated.
The above experience is not the on
ly one that has come to our notice
nor are we the only newspaper Il
have such thing happen--it is al
most daily occurance in every news
paper plant in the country. If FIRE
publicity were titled with reciprocity
the harvest would probably be NOR
valuable. Think it over, the sho
might be a perfect fit.
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