And a thank-you to the people who express their frustration with them
by Melanie Jongsma, Publisher
LANSING, Ill. (November 22, 2021) – “I can’t read the article! Every time I close the pop-up ad, it kicks me out of the article,” said a Facebook commenter on The Lansing Journal page. I apologized for the frustration caused by this ad, and I tweaked the settings so that the ad would not be such a barrier to the article. This reader was very understanding, and she let me know that those new settings made a difference.
Thank you, committed readers
I’m grateful when readers share their frustrations with me. The job of a newspaper is to provide news, so the reader experience is always our first consideration when we make decisions about how things appear on our website or in our Daily News email. But each reader’s experience is unique — due to differences in devices, settings, age, and preferences — so it’s helpful when I hear directly if things aren’t working right.
I’m also grateful for readers who understand that it costs money to produce a free newspaper. Advertisers pay The Lansing Journal to run their ads, and that income helps cover the costs of reporting, publishing, and delivering the stories our readers love to read.
Thank you, advertisers
This Thanksgiving week, I want to specifically thank the advertisers behind all the ads you see on the pages of our website. Many of them made the transition with us to digital advertising, and they have been good sports about trying the new and different formats we offer.
Digital advertising is different from print advertising, and it takes a while to get the hang of it. So I appreciate the businesses, churches, schools, and municipal organizations who trusted me and took the leap.
Many of our advertisers choose The Lansing Journal because they get measurable results from their advertising spend. I enjoy sharing those results with them in weekly reports, and it’s gratifying to know that we are helping our community institutions by sharing their messages with engaged readers.
And some advertisers choose The Lansing Journal simply because they want to support this community newspaper. I’m grateful for those ads as well. In fact, I’m humbled by that investment.
Building community through communication
Communication is an essential element of building community. That’s really what this Thanksgiving post is about. I’m thankful for advertisers who trust us to help them communicate with our readers. I’m thankful for readers who communicate their preferences rather than unsubscribing and walking away. And I’m grateful for people who see those ads, receive those messages, and respond by clicking, shopping, applying, or engaging in some way. All those interactions help build community.
Thank you, advertisers and readers, for communicating with each other and with me as we work together to build community in Lansing and beyond.
