On Advertising Magazines and Wikipedia

Santa Clarita's entry on Wikipedia, the popular reader-edited web based encyclopedia, has had a bit of controversy lately. As the popularity of Wikipedia grows, several SCV institutions have begun to add their website links to the page, which gets updated and edited at least a few times a week.

One of the most edited 'areas' of Santa Clarita's wikipedia page is the "Media" links section. The section changes just about every week as various anonymous readers edit it to include links to their media properties. So what's the problem? One anonymous user says that Santa Clarita's monthly magazines shouldn't be listed under the "Media" category:

This is a city of nearly 200,000 people in a major metropolitan area. It's disingenuous to refer to the mass-mailed ad magazines as being part of the "media". I don't know enough about Claritaville, but I removed it to be fair, but these other publications fill the space between ads with copy, not the other way around. I would be shocked to hear if the editorial function on any of these publications has any independence from ad sales to speak of. The magazine of Santa Clarita is the worst offender of the lot, with nearly every "article" signed by advertisers. The Signal ain't the greatest, but let's be fair to the real, professional journalists in the valley. - signed by an ANON IP

Intrigued, I checked out this anonymous user's claim. Sure enough, the edit history logs show that various users have added and deleted magazines such as the Magazine of Santa Clarita from the media section as recently as Dec. 28. What's the problem with the Magazine of Santa Clarita? Well, the anonymous user's complaint is fairly accurate. Consider this January 2007 advertisement/article in the magazine, posted on a local photographer's blog. The article is in reality nothing more than an advertisement aimed at convincing readers to try this photographer's services. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, as long as you don't treat it as "news" or "Media," in my opinion. Calling it "media" is a disservice to real journalists who work hard to provide unbiased information to readers. So what do you think? Are magazines such as the Magazine of Santa Clarita legitimate media properties? Or are they just adver-zines?

Comments (4)

mikeJanuary 4 at 8:11 AM PT

It would seem like there needs to be some kind of distinction at least. Claritaville, for what I've seen, is refreshing and probably legit. Some are in more of a gray area, like Inside SCV or elite, because they seem to mix ad supported content with original reporting. But the Magazine of Santa Clarita isn't news media by any stretch of the imagination. "Wow, so it's really time to buy/sell/refinace/get a massage/consider acupuncture/test drive an '07/get a new carpet says realtor/realtor/loan guy/masseuse/accupuncturist/car dealer/carpet guy on page left with (who would have guessed it?) an ad on page right!

mikeJanuary 4 at 8:26 AM PT

I should add that the initial edit and the discussion item were posted by me and I forgot to put the "~~~~" at the end, but I was signed on when I made the comment and the edit (reflected in the history). Someone came in a few weeks later and added the "ANON IP" thing. I'd love to know who keeps putting The MofSC back on.

RickLJanuary 5 at 5:39 AM PT

Those magazines are a waste of ink and paper, and I dread the days I have to dislodge them from my undersized pigeon hole of a mailbox. I would welcome a law that would force publishers to honor "do not send" requests, similar to the "do not call" lists that telephone solicitors have to obey.

aandersonSeptember 27 at 9:52 AM PT

Cheap cigarettes harder to pass up To all the rationalizations given to keep smoking — losing weight, calming nerves, passing the time — servicemembers in South Korea can add one more dubious incentive: Cigarettes are pretty cheap Cheap cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] compared to stateside prices. The going rate for a pack of smokes at Post Exchange stores varies from about $2.70 to $3.50, depending on the brand: Marlboro, Winston, Camel cigarettes. Off-base, a pack costs $2.66 to $3.19. Back home, cigarette packs range from $3.41 in South Carolina to $6.24 in New Jersey parliament cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz]. marlboro cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] rate of 1,400 to 1,500 won, or $1.49 to $1.59 a pack. Suh Ok-hee, a supervisor for health winston cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] promotion with the 18th Medical Command, says the cheaper prices are one of the reasons servicemembers say they keep smoking in South Korea. Suh is one of four health promotion coordinators camel cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] in South Korea who run tobacco-cessation programs for servicemembers, their families and other Department of Defense workers. They offer weekly group meetings aimed at helping people adjust their lifestyle to a world without tobacco. The classes help people avoid weight gain, handle Discount cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] stress and create different routines without cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, she said. Most people usually attend four, one-hour classes.

mikeJanuary 4 at 8:11 AM PT
It would seem like there needs to be some kind of distinction at least. Claritaville, for what I've seen, is refreshing and probably legit. Some are in more of a gray area, like Inside SCV or elite, because they seem to mix ad supported content with original reporting. But the Magazine of Santa Clarita isn't news media by any stretch of the imagination. "Wow, so it's really time to buy/sell/refinace/get a massage/consider acupuncture/test drive an '07/get a new carpet says realtor/realtor/loan guy/masseuse/accupuncturist/car dealer/carpet guy on page left with (who would have guessed it?) an ad on page right!
mikeJanuary 4 at 8:26 AM PT
I should add that the initial edit and the discussion item were posted by me and I forgot to put the "~~~~" at the end, but I was signed on when I made the comment and the edit (reflected in the history). Someone came in a few weeks later and added the "ANON IP" thing. I'd love to know who keeps putting The MofSC back on.
RickLJanuary 5 at 5:39 AM PT
Those magazines are a waste of ink and paper, and I dread the days I have to dislodge them from my undersized pigeon hole of a mailbox. I would welcome a law that would force publishers to honor "do not send" requests, similar to the "do not call" lists that telephone solicitors have to obey.
aandersonSeptember 27 at 9:52 AM PT
Cheap cigarettes harder to pass up To all the rationalizations given to keep smoking — losing weight, calming nerves, passing the time — servicemembers in South Korea can add one more dubious incentive: Cigarettes are pretty cheap Cheap cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] compared to stateside prices. The going rate for a pack of smokes at Post Exchange stores varies from about $2.70 to $3.50, depending on the brand: Marlboro, Winston, Camel cigarettes. Off-base, a pack costs $2.66 to $3.19. Back home, cigarette packs range from $3.41 in South Carolina to $6.24 in New Jersey parliament cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz]. marlboro cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] rate of 1,400 to 1,500 won, or $1.49 to $1.59 a pack. Suh Ok-hee, a supervisor for health winston cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] promotion with the 18th Medical Command, says the cheaper prices are one of the reasons servicemembers say they keep smoking in South Korea. Suh is one of four health promotion coordinators camel cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] in South Korea who run tobacco-cessation programs for servicemembers, their families and other Department of Defense workers. They offer weekly group meetings aimed at helping people adjust their lifestyle to a world without tobacco. The classes help people avoid weight gain, handle Discount cigarettes [www.cheap-discount-cigarettes.biz] stress and create different routines without cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, she said. Most people usually attend four, one-hour classes.