Line between editorial and advertising

[apeman33]

What is this line of which you speak?

Sad but true at many places (including my shop).

Anyone who doubts this, I have two words that should strike fear into your heart: Progress. Section.

That was brought up at today's meeting. If we don't have a real managng editor by then and I'm still doing that AND sports, I'm going to have nightmares.

 

[Stitch]

A story on an online retailer or shopping in the big city is a fireable offense at my shop.

 

[nmmetsfan]

What is this line of which you speak?

Sad but true at many places (including my shop).

Anyone who doubts this, I have two words that should strike fear into your heart: Progress. Section.

That was brought up at today's meeting. If we don't have a real managng editor by then and I'm still doing that AND sports, I'm going to have nightmares.

Ape, you're a better man than I

 

[WolvEagle]

What is this line of which you speak?

Sad but true at many places (including my shop).

Anyone who doubts this, I have two words that should strike fear into your heart: Progress. Section.

I figured out a pretty good way to do our annual progress section: Allow all of our mayors, township supervisors and school superintendents to write guest columns. I edit them for style, but that's about it. If they don't respond, oh well.

This way, at least we're honest with our readers about what this is (and it saves our reporters a lot of work).

I've got a decision to make, though, come January: One of our mayors is under federal indictment for kickbacks, but he's still in office. The state appointed an emergency financial manager (for the second time in city history), so there's a tug of war about who's in charge. I'm leaning toward the emergency manager.

 

[Ace]

If anyone thinks there is no interference or input from sales on the editorial section, I suggest they try to do a story on ways to save money and avoid ripoffs when buying a new car.

Good luck.

I tried to pitch that once. Really laid an egg.

 

[murphyc]

Not sure which call from the ad rep I like better:
1. "Jane Doe, who you know now advertises with us, would make for a good story because..."
2. "I think Jane Doe would make a good story. She's got a new store in town, and she seems interested in doing some ads with us if..."

Neither call ever ends well. Our current ad manager understands the line between advertising and editorial, our first one absolutely didn't, nor does the PT rep we currently have. We do ribbon cutting pics and "Retail News" items where the ad reps take pics of business people in or in front of their business and have them submit brief information about their business. I don't even see the stuff until I'm proofing the pages.

 

[Stitch]

I'm at a small enough place where every new business gets a story. Nothing wrong with that, since the story isn't tied to if they advertise. But we get plenty of "isn't this a good story idea" crap from the reps. It isn't a good story idea if you have to start out by saying that they are good advertisers.

 

[WolvEagle]

We have a system at our shop where all ad requests go to me (I coordinate the business coverage). I weed through it all. The reps are not to take this stuff to the beat reporters - ever.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

At one of my previous stops, I frequently would have to do a story on the new business in town.

What ended up being funny was when I would try to do a story on the business when they had their 'Going out of business' sign. The discussion with the brass was entertaining, to say the least.

 

[deskslave]

At one of my previous stops, I frequently would have to do a story on the new business in town.

What ended up being funny was when I would try to do a story on the business when they had their 'Going out of business' sign. The discussion with the brass was entertaining, to say the least.

Well, you can understand the concern. What if that business pulled its advertising?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

At one of my previous stops, I frequently would have to do a story on the new business in town.

What ended up being funny was when I would try to do a story on the business when they had their 'Going out of business' sign. The discussion with the brass was entertaining, to say the least.

Well, you can understand the concern. What if that business pulled its advertising?

A couple of times, that business was going kaput within a week or two (these were small locally-owned places). They weren't advertising anymore, or if they did, they sure as heck weren't going to pay their bills.

It was more the hypocrisy of having to be a sellout to profile the new business in town in the hopes they would advertise, but not to write a story about that place going kaput.