Did you see the advertising train wreck in Sunday's Republic? Check out this ad--the left side is The Republic itself, touting its "Media In Education" program. That's the program in which sponsors pay to put newspapers in schools as an educational resource--which is a great tool to prop up sagging circulation numbers. The advertisement features a young boy in a suit reading the financial pages. The ad next to the "Media in Education" ad is for a website that sells cigarettes on line. Just the type of thing we want our elementary school kids to see in the paper.*
(Frankly, I was surprised to see cigarettes advertised at all. I guess I'm behind the times, but I thought print advertising of tobacco products was illegal now.)
*Footnote. Once while touring my son's Junior High computer lab, I logged on to AzCentral and the pop up ad was for Bourbon Street Circus. Notice also that the title of the cigarette ad isn't punctuated correctly. Normally I wouldn't point that out, but it's part of a sequence in which the Republic is touting the educational value of newspapers.
My guess is that the Arizona Republic is happy to get the ad revenue and that there are still a few vices in the US that are still legal, thank goodness.
So says a non-smoker.
Posted by: Thane Eichenauer | March 07, 2010 at 10:54 PM
Why don't they teach the kids how to publish on the web?
Posted by: Joshua Zeidner | March 08, 2010 at 01:40 AM
You expect too much from schools. Vote "yes" for the overrides on Tuesday and continue to expect a better education for our children. Then, next year, you can listen to the teachers explain why they can't teach our children despite more money from the overrides.
Tell our schools no more taxes until they improve performance and lower expenses.
Posted by: North Valley Republican | March 08, 2010 at 07:24 AM
Maybe we could ask the government schools to do what the charter movement is doing. For that, just look at the headline in the ad - Spend Less, Get More!
Posted by: Travis | March 08, 2010 at 07:42 AM
The professional "educators" will never be satisfied with the funding they receive. You could give an unlimited checking account and they would still overspend.
Posted by: RonJ | March 08, 2010 at 05:15 PM
Educators have, several times, been presented with an unlimited checking account. The judge in Kansas city literally told the educators "let your dreams run wild." He injected $2 billion in dreams and it produced no measurable effect. New York City has, over the last 8 years increased their spending on a school population comparable to that of Arizona's from 10.5 billion to $21 billion with no measurable effect. Phoenix Union teachers are compensated $67,000 as compared to Mesa at $47,000. Guess who wins that race?
Posted by: Falcon 9 | March 08, 2010 at 06:35 PM
It's all about administrative waste in schools, but no one wants to hear that.
Greg, was Bourbon Street running a special?
Posted by: Jim Torgeson | March 08, 2010 at 07:53 PM
I believe the adds are being built in Des Moines by a centralized Gannett Ad group. Or Indian! Anymore I have trouble keeping track.
Posted by: Blue Sky | March 08, 2010 at 08:45 PM