Next week's Fort Mill Times (print edition) will be the third one since we started publishing ads on page 1A. So far, I've heard not a single comment from readers about it. Presumably they've noticed the ad, so apparently no one finds it objectionable.
And why should they?
Just because old newspaper folks like me (well, middle aged anyway) have to get used to every little change, doesn't mean we have to project that on readers. For those who have not worked with or lived with newspaper people, realize that most most of us are prone to resisting change. I don't know why, but we tend to be reactionary. Which is ironic because we also tend to get annoyed when officials and readers are reactionary.
Anyway, it made me think of what it must have been like when a publisher back in the day first approached an editor about adding an illustration to the front page (which used to be covered in type - not an inch of white space to be seen!):
"What?! You mean, you want me to cut a story to fit a...drawing?! Are you mad?! I won't do it!"
Or something like that.
It's true that we have to reconfigure things a bit because now there's less room on page 1A for editorial content and "art" (as we call photos and graphics), but really, it's nothing to stress over. After all, no one blinks an eye over ads on our homepage (www.fortmilltimes.com) - in fact we CELEBRATE it. Just another opportunity to evolve.
