Page:The Practice of the Kansas Code of Ethics for Newspapers.pdf/3

 are four general headings to cover advertising, circulation, estimating (every small Kansas newspaper office has its job shop), and news (news under this heading being considered from the publisher's standpoint). The code for the editor is briefer and deals largely with the presentation of the views of the editor. The Code will be given in full with discussion of its effect and actual practice following each general division :

For the Publisher in advertising

Definition. Advertising is news, or views, of a business or professional enterprise which leads directly to its profits or increased business.

News of the industrial or commercial development of an institution which in no way has a specific bearing upon the merits of its products is not advertising.

Beside news which leads to a profit, advertising also includes communica- tions and reports, cards of thanks, etc., over the space of which the editor has no control. Charges for the latter become more in the nature of a penalty to restrict their publication.

Responsibility. The authorship of an advertisement should be so plainly stated in the context or at the end that it could not avoid catching the atten- tion of the reader before he has left the matter.

Unsigned advertisements in the news columns should either be preceded or followed by the word "advertisement" or its abbreviation.

We hold that the publisher in no degree be held responsible for the statement of fact or opinion found in an advertisement.

Freedom of Space. We hold the right of the publisher to become a broker in land, loan, rental and mer- cantile transactions through his want and advertising columns and condemn any movement of those following such lines to restrict this right of the pub- lisher to the free sale of his space for the

purpose of bringing buyer and seller together.

This shall not be construed to warrant the publisher as such in handling the details, terms, etc., of the trade, but merely in safeguarding his freedom in selling his space to bring the buyer and seller together, leaving the bargaining to the principals.

Our advertising is to bring together the buyer and the seller, and we are not concerned whether it is paid for and ordered by the producer, the consumer or a middleman.

Acceding to any other desires on the part of traders is knocking the founda- tions out from under the advertising business — the freedom of space. We hold that the freedom of space (where the payment is not a question) should only be restricted by the moral decency of the advertising matter.

We hold that the freedom of space denies us the right to sign any contract with a firm which contains any restric- tion against the wording of the copy which we may receive from any other firm, even to the mentioning of the goods of the first firm by name.

Compensation. We condemn the signing of contracts carrying with them the publication of any amount of free reading matter.

We condemn the acceptance of any exchange articles, trade checks, or courtesies in payment for advertising, holding that all advertising should be paid for in cash.

We condemn the giving of secret rebates upon the established advertis- ing rate as published.

Rates. All advertising rates should be on a unit per thousand basis and all advertisers are entitled to a full knowl- edge of the circulation, not only of the quantity but also of the distribution. Statements of circulation should show the number of bona fide subscribers, the number of exchanges, the number of complimentaries, and the number sold to newsdealers, and if possible the locality of distribution, in a general way.

Position. Position contracts should