A Pitfall May Not Be What You Think...On The Other Hand , It may

I have been trying to discover how much the Town of Georgina pays  for the annual contract with the Georgina Advocate for advertising space.

I have been on the Town's web site and posed the question every which way. With no results.

I have visited the budget and uncovered nothing. Not even a line item.

I am not a qualified researcher. Not even unqualified .

In the realm of research I am a rank amateur.

I do not know if Georgina's website is easy or difficult to search or surf or whatever  relevant term .

I have discovered the municipality has two  pages of the newspaper a month. to inform residents of town activities and events.

I know the  space is not provided  as a public service.

In Aurora, the town paid  sister newspaper of the Advocate, the Aurora Banner, almost  $81,000
in the year 2009.

I understand  cost is calculated  on the basis of circulation.

Georgina's circulation is 18,800. Aurora's is almost three times as high. Georgina's is probably higher in summer.

I am not sure how or if that would impact on advertising costs. I am certainly not willing to make  a rough or even a wild guess .

The amount of  public resources transferred to a newspaper  in return for service is relevant.

My  aim  is to determine if the amount is sufficient,  the newspaper might be compromised in its  delivery of  impartial and unbiased  reporting and editorialising to residents paying the freight. 

Certainly, it appears newspapers have been enjoying lucrative contracts in exchange for space, for a goodly number of years.

Nothing is untoward  about the process. They have something to sell. Municipalities are willing to buy.

My concern,until now, has never been more than a niggle at the back of my mind. 

In retrospect, I may have been remiss. 

A newspaper will not normally go out of its way to offend a valuable customer. In fact.I  believe  the reverse is true.

But before municipalities started buying so much space, regular business clientelle, would not be political bodies. 

Probably, the least that should occur  is the reading public should always keep the business relationship in mind when reading news and editorials about municipal government matters.

News is what a newspaper offers to expose  readers to advertising.

Readers, circulation, are what a newspaper offers to  advertising clientelle.

Everything is open and above board. Nothing sinister is going on. Just a plain old fashioned business deal that everybody understands.

With potential pitfalls.