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I I A TI
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jJ EWSPAPERS are so much a
part of oar daily lives that few
of us pause to consider the important
mission they so regularly and there
fore, perhaps monotonously fulfill
In a world crisis such as this, it is
well to give a little serious thought
to the great public service the daily
newspapers render. ; ' - U
j
I T
They have become at once the
chief mouth-piece of the Govern
'ment, and the sole source of public
information on the events of momen
tous and nation-wide interest now
oeturing with such frequency. Nev
er has so great amj so vital a news
value been attached to the nation's
daily publications.
, Eager' eyes by-millions and mil
7 Hons literally devour the newspapers
these days. Attention is riveted up
on them as never before. For devel
opments in the World War take pre
' cedent over all else in the public
mind. And only through the news-
papers can this intense desire to keep
step with the swiftly moving panor
ama of the embattled world be grat
ified. In consequence it is easy to appre
ciate the tremendous hold of the
daily newspaper on its vast army of
readers. It is easy tp sense the men
tal attitude of the reader so far as
, regards the impressions that brand
themselves upon his intellect. And
so it logically, naturally follows that
he is in a state of utmost menial re-
IMe.w
x
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By A. H. Messing, Publisher, Chicago Examiner.
. ceptiveness while perusing the col
umns of his favorite morning, even
ing or Sunday paper.
What belter reason, then, for the
popularity of the newspaper as an
advertising medium ?x And what bet
ter Justification could one ask for its
systematic, intelligent use for that
purpose? Can I be far wrong in
saying that the newspaper of today
is beyond doubt or question the one
best vehicle for business news, for
salesmanship in print-advertising?
Analyze your own mental state
when you read your newspaper this
morning. Your mind was practically
closed to outside influences. '' You
were intent upon the-first-hand in
formation your' paper contained.
You wanted, above all, to absorb
"current . history," to find out for
yourself what had happened and
what was happening at home, and
abroad. Your facilities were center
ed on the paper in your hand, and cn
vhal its columns presented. Your
mind was open only to the impres
sions they imparted.
And because your mind was open
ed to news impressions, certain ad
vertisements must' have attracted
you advertisements that interested
yon through their promise of satis
factorily fulfilling some need ' that
you felt or they made you feel exist
ed. : ' . rV .. - -
In advertising, as in salesmanship,
- Bp sip r
the first requirement is to have your
prospect's favorable, undivided at
tention. And certainly this you get
in the newspaper.' - This it is that
makes the newspaper the medium
above all others to carry advertising
messages.
- Second in order of advertising val
ue and importance, I place the mag
azine. But because the mission of
the great run of modern periodicals
is to entertain rather than educate,
we cannot expect the magazine to
have so great a hold on its readers
as has the newspaper. . -.
If necessary men and women steal
the time to read their daily. They
simply cannot get along without it
Magazines, it is true; have their part
to play, and most of them do it welL '
But none can have absolute com- .
mand of the reader's interest as. has
the newspaper.
. .
And then there come in close' for-
mation billboards, street car cards,
painted bulletins, etc, as next hi or
der of advertising value and import- ,
ance. . The mental impressions one
gets from these are casual, however ;
they are read only "on the run" so
to speak. As supplementary media,
and for general, publicity use, they
have their place. But when it comes
to inducing 'definite , buying action,
to accomplishing the work of selling
through all its successive stages, the
newspaper occupies a field alone and
peculiarly its ovn.
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