Overloading of adver ts in Herald appalls

CHECKING on the website of my favourite newspaper, The Herald, I could find no mention of a mission statement.

One would expect a publication that has successfully survived since May 7 1845 and one of South Africa’s oldest newspapers would have a clear-cut printing policy relating to the balance between advertising space and news items.

Has there been a dramatic change in policy?

The paper is now becoming an advertising tabloid overriding its publicised statement that it is “a careful blend of local, national and international news items, human interest articles, features and opinion pieces”.

Does The Herald think this was the case in Thursday’s newspaper?

One fully realises a newspaper depends largely on advertising to keep going.

However, where is the line drawn?

Thursday’s The Herald was one huge conglomeration of advertisements with odd snippets of news interspersed almost as an afterthought, one feels!

Surely there must be a balance between advertisements and news items?

The advertisements from supermarkets intrigue me.

One wonders how many readers spend a huge portion of their day, for that’s how long it will take, eagerly determining where they can buy the cheapest can of coffee, etc!

One cannot but feel appalled at the amount of “wasted” paper and how many trees have been sacrificed producing the pulp!

I also appreciate that the advertisers want their advertisements thrust before the reader willy-nilly, which I feel objectionable, an imposition and an invasion of my space as it were.

Please keep the bulk of advertisements separate for those that are interested and keep the newspaper “readable” for the rest of us!

I think The Herald does a superb job as the “voice of Port Elizabeth” and I look forward to my copy each day, hopefully sans a glut of intrusive advertisements!

Talbot Cox, Schoenmakerskop, Port Elizabeth WE experienced abnormal advertising loading from retailers who were targeting the upcoming public holiday long weekend and public sector workers, who were being paid. To accommodate the additional advertising, pagination was increased to 26 pages. – The editor