April 13, -- Where Does Advertising Fit?

Student Objectives:

· Students will learn how advertising fits within urban newspapers and television stations.

· Students will be engaged in discussion of these two key concepts.

· Students will have a decent understand of the role advertising plays in determining news coverage and news space.

· Students will discuss whether ads sell newspapers or draw viewers, or if news and programming attract them

Materials:

Class Roll

Examples of newspaper and television ads

AV equipment

PowerPoint presentation of today’s lecture

Call Roll – 2 mins.

Welcome Back – 5 mins.

• Hand back midterm exams
• Give students a brief timeline for the rest of the semester.

Lecture: Advertising, where does it fit? – 35 mins.

Goal: to help students realize that advertising plays a bigger role in the news media than they may have originally believed. This lecture will discuss how advertising sales determine news space and news coverage both in print and on television.

• Begin by distributing copies of today’s Alligator and Sun,
• Discuss the amount of ad space in each paper and compare that to the amount of news space – it should be about 50-50,
• Explain how ad sales determine the number of pages in each day’s paper and how that translates into news space,
• How is this ironic?
• Guide students to the realization that without ads there could be no news and without news there would be no outlet for ads.

• What is the future of newspaper advertising?
• Can local retailers afford to advertise in large dailies?
• Have locals been chased out of the newspaper by nationwide chains?
• Hand out rates cards
• Questions to consider:

o If local stores cannot afford to advertise, or choose not to advertise, in the local newspaper, are readers more likely to buy a copy of that paper for coupons?

§ Generally the answer is “No.” Many readers buy newspapers to learn about sales and other bargains and local stores, not to see fliers about nationwide fashion.

o Have local advertisers abandoned large dailies in favor of local weeklies or monthlies?

§ In some cases, yes they have. Many urban areas now have smaller papers that cater to specific areas or neighborhoods. Often, local businesses choose to advertise with these papers instead of the large daily paper.

Preview for Next Class – 5 mins.

• Give the class a short preview of what we will be discussing during the next class period.
• Remind students to read Chapters 7 and 13 of Death and Life of Great American Cities

Covering Economic Issues

• With urban development comes the rise of urban and suburban communities,
• Often isolated by income,
• How do and how should newspapers handle this issue?
• What are some new ways to cover economic growth?
• Students will be asked to work in groups and create a giant Post-it, listing innovative ways to cover economic issues.

What’s Ahead?

• The future of urban journalism/corporate ownership. I will encourage students to read the newspaper each day and conduct some background information or corporate ownership.
• Question to consider: how many major media companies are there?

* * * *

Heads Up

Next Class –We will be talking about economic coverage and ethnic sensitivity.

Guest Speaker – Jackie Levine, managing editor of The Gainesville Sun, will be speaking on March 26, on the future of urban journalism and corporate ownership.

Final Story Deadline – Students must submit their final story assignment by April 18.

Final Exam – April 25. Will cover all material since the midterm exam

Final Projects – due April 20.