For sale: Your newspaper’s front page

You’d expect a furor to emanate from the newsroom. But, aside from a few Romenesko letters, the full-page ads on the front pages of the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press last week brought nary a peep from either newsroom — or, apparently, any significant place in NewsroomLand. (See the E&P story.)

According to E&P:

Marshall Field’s approached Detroit Newspapers — the retailer was shopping the idea around to newspapers in other cities as well — and that the agency gave the idea “thoughtful consideration” before agreeing to run the ads on [May 25].

The front-page wraps carried a red, white and blue flag theme to hype a Memorial Day sale.

Neither newspaper’s editor would comment on the wrap’s effect on single-copy sales, newsroom attitudes about the wrap and future front-page ad sales. (Odd: Newspaper editors always want information about other industries but are adamantly closed-mouthed about their own.)

Advertisement