I’ll Ask Again: Was It Worth $42,000?

Last week, I criticized the four-page ad called “The Changing Face of TV News” in Wednesday’s New York Times.

In this week’s Variety, Peter Bart calls it “one of those murky advertorials where it’s all but impossible to figure out who’s paying the tab.” He agrees that “advertisers in the section seemed to fare better than those who, like Fox News, disdained the venture.”

Then he disses the ads: “There’s one ad from CNN, which shouts ‘One news brand knows the NOW consumer,’ but doesn’t mention either Anderson Cooper or his less-promoted colleagues like Lou Dobbs or Wolf Blitzer.” And: “An ad from ABC News, reminds readers that ‘World News Now is the No. 1 downloaded video news podcast on iTunes.’ It’s not really clear whether this revelation is intended to be the grand climax of the four-page section.”