THE PRESS AND ADVERTISING

NZ Truth, Issue 943, 22 December 1923, Page 4

THE PRESS AND ADVERTISING

A Matter Of Circulation 4 THE MAN WHO SPENDS "^ZM MONEY. JM Does He Always Get a Fair Dea^B fc. i .1, ,n There is no doubt' that m New Zealand the best advertisers are the newspapers. They advertise to get advertisements; they advertise to get circulation. But not all the advertising m creation Will give to a newspaper a large circulation if the news and reading matter m that paper is not of the class, variety and standard which the. public taste demands. And Without circulation, of what use Is a newspaper, a journal or a magazine to an advertiser? The v business community of New Zealand is an enterprising community. It believes m advertising; it realises that advertising pays* But -VTruth" has no hesitation m declaring that much of the money spent m thia manner Is money absolutely wasted. In boosting themselves, many of tha minor publications of the Dominion put forth EXTRAVAGANT CLAIMS regarding their circulations. "Largest Circulation"— "Moßt Widely Read"— "Best Advertising Medium," et<L, etc, iun tlie , self -advertising announcements of many publications, seeking the paid -for advertisements of tha man with goods to sell. Some of these ad-seeking snares are read mainly by the advertisers who have bought deal" space m them; and who (supplied free) often form the largest bulk ot the readers. For all the goods they soil, they might as well be nonexistent. Their, circulations do not run to hundreds where they claim thousands, and "Truth" has no hesitation m denouncing their tricks as Bhoddy methods of obtaining "business" — m other words, obtaining advertisements by false pretences. Such wretched, useless, uninteresting and practically unread issues of inane vaporings, piffling comment on matter*? of, which tho writers display the utmost Ignorance, and stale reprint, are a reflection on the honest printer and a LIBEL ON REAL JOURNALISM. They rarely get the business of the bt£ firm which employs -a shrewd advertising specialist, however. They merely pull the business man who believes m advertising* and who hasn't the time or the requisite knowledge of circulation and newspapers to ascertain the truth of the claims of the proprietors of these publications. There are alao some newspapers and weekly journals of pretended higher repute than the trifling publications referred to. which obtain from the advertiser far Breat^r remuneration than their space Is worth, having regard to their circulations. These papers give blind and covert challenges to each other, with the tongues of their respective proprietors m their cheeks, nut one being game to publish its circulation figures and demand that its rivals should do likewise. The fact is that the claims of nine-tenths of them WOULD NOT BRAR INVESTIGA--1 TION In the matter of circulation. They extort hugo sums from the pockets of largo advertisers annually by sheer bluff, and as not one dare call the bluff of tho otbinr. the game goos on very successfully. "Truth" knows of one Auckland publication (as only one instance of what goes on throughout tho Dominion) which claims a circulation of many thousands, when it is really only a few hundred— and a good half of tho number that go out aro returned unsold. It is safe to say that if the advertisers knew tho truth regarding the actual circulation of this journal thero wouldn't be one ndvertiser t willing to renew his contract. There aro, by the way, a number of small newspapers and periodicals which are accorded tha PATRONAGE OP THE GOVERNMENT (n the matter of advertising, m return for their feeble support of Government policy. This has been the case with successive Governments, and is not an innovation of tho Massey Administration. It is a matter of spoils to the victors. Those papers which have supported the party which has obtained power, or which unofficially undertake to support and bolster up the party m power, are given Government advertisements, though their advertising worth probably Isn't tuppence per inch m respec.t to drawing attention to the subject ot the advertisement, It Is really an underhand method of Government subsidising for the political support of party. Ther* are some very earnest leading article! On the virtues of the Massey Government which are inspired by the receipt of five-inch ads., calling for tenders for somethtng which does not exist m the districts m which advertisements appear. A faithful Government newspaper, with anything from fifty to five hundred readers, can always keep the wolf from the door with the aid of the regular Government ad., given In return for staunch support. Any of these papers would sqpport nny old Governmont on the same terms. "Truth" demands more honesty In Journalism— or rather on the part ot newspaper proprietors— ln the matter of circulation. Why do not these, boasting*, pretentious sheets olacc tholr cards— l.c., their duly authenticated circulation flguree— on the table, find so give the advertiser a fair deal by letting him know exactly what distribution and publicity he is getting for his money? "Truth" has no hesitation In furnishing its figures of circulation. Thero Is no other newspaper m Now Zealand that has tho circulation of "Truth." But lhat Is not why "Truth" is willing to make its figures public. In tho interests of tho advertisers, it would WILLINGLY PUBLISH ITS POSITION even If its readers were far less numerous. "Truth** is read right throughout the Dominion—from Cape Maria v nn Pieman In the North to Stewart Island In the South. Let Other newspapers now come forward and toll tho truth to tholr advertiser*. Instead of cajollni? busings by vague generalities? ns to "Grt-.-ttost (Mrcnlnilon." "Muf*t Widely Hoad." and ail ih© rest of Huc-h tarradiddle. In {he United Statos of America th«re is ft Hwi which require*"*- each publli*ntlon tol lodre annually with lh«* authorities a] tru-» nnd 'correct audited statement ofi circulation and sales, and it ia hlghj time that this roqttlromeiu was uuda the law m New Zealand, no that '-ruM vertlsers could get a fair deal. It iff the advertisers who **^ry largely caiiirlbutc thb revt-nut? to the IVchh, and It is du»j to the advertisers that they whould know where they stand.