Advertising in the newspaper helps the entire community

 

 

At one time an early precursor of this newspaper ran a slogan under the Flag across the top of the front page which read: “Our time and energy is devoted to the welfare of Macon County and to the editor's pocketbook.”

This was perhaps too honest, and certainly meant to be tongue in cheek. But it raises an interesting question.

Why should you advertise in our newspaper? Enlightened self interest tells us that if we have something to sell, services to provide, a job that needs to be filled, or because you are looking for a particular item to buy, or sell or rent, then this newspaper is a great vehicle to fill these needs.

   A television or radio ad might reach a certain audience, what the pros call a demographic. But your local newspaper is specific to our area, our churches, organizations, our community functions. An ad in the paper is tactile; it doesn't appear on the airwaves for a half minute and then disappear into the ether.

  You should advertise in our paper because it's good for your community to have a newspaper big enough, and good enough to cover schools, and sports, clubs and charitable events. We want to report the good news along with the inevitable bad news. It's great for news to walk in the door, so please don't be shy about sharing (our job is to find the people with a new idea, a better mousetrap, an interesting story to share); and while we have a fine advertising representative who works very hard to make a living selling ads, we like for our ads to walk in the door, too.

  Some weeks we'd like to be able to run a banner headline: ‘Nothing terrible or tragic happened to anyone this week!-All good news! Read all about it!' But we're afraid that might be a jinx, and all Hades would break loose the next day and make liars of us.

But it's not how much news, or how good or bad the news is that makes a newspaper: it's the amount of advertising which determines the number of pages in a newspaper. The more advertising, the more space for news about our schools, our children, the community happenings, and just interesting stuff. The more ads, the more good reading we can provide to go in between the ads.

We try to give both our readers and advertisers full measure in return for their support. If we fully cover the news in a community that is busy, successful and prospering, that is going to be attractive to potential residents and businesses. As a result we grow and prosper even more, we shop close to home, we spend our money with the people who do business will us. Professionals, retailers, service providers all benefit from this synergy.

“Happiness flows in a circular motion...” go the lyrics to an old song. It's part of a larger cycle. Advertising in the newspaper helps make this a better place to live, to shop and live, to raise our families, to create a sense of community that makes us feel comfortable as we live our lives in Macon County, Tennessee.

Thanks for reading our newspaper. And thank you for patronizing our advertisers!