Although he did not say when they would begin, Chicago Tribune publisher Scott Smith said that his paper would offer a 1.5-inch strip along the front page’s bottom to select advertisers.  This format will be the norm for other major Tribune papers.

Recently, The Los Angeles Times, Tribune Co.’s largest paper, announced its plans for front page ads.  The Wall Street Journal and USA Today have already opened their front pages to select advertisers.

With fears of reducing article space, many have opposed the decision to run advertisements on Page 1, but ultimately, it seems that papers are too hard-pressed for revenue sources to retain a “purist” attitude.  Nevertheless, Smith says that the front-age advertisers will have to “burnish their brand names with tasteful, full-color ads” and refrain from flashy promotions or messages.

John Lavine of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, says “The alternative is no newspaper, and I’m happy to make that trade-off.”  Ideally, readers of Tribune Co.’s papers will feel the same way and accept Page 1 advertisements in light of the difficult situation faced by the newspaper industry.

Source: Chicago Tribune through IFRA Executive News Service