BY DAN
KENNEDY
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Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Front page for sale. I
couldn't find one while I was running around the Back Bay earlier
today, but a colleague just handed it to me: a very, very
special edition of today's Boston Herald, given to her free of
charge at Downtown Crossing.
Free, but not without a cost.
Because the front is a mock cover that looks like the
Herald, but that is apparently a full-page ad for JetBlue, which
today - according to the lead "story" - "launches its
much-anticipated nonstop service from Logan Airport to Orlando, Tampa
and Denver."
The splash reads "JetBlue Arrives,
Promises a Free TV to All Who Fly." There's an asterisk next to "TV,"
and an explanation that the head refers merely to "the complimentary
satellite TV on JetBlue, not an actual television set."
Other tidbits include "Flight
Attendant Gives Passenger Entire Can of Soda," "Blue Potato Chip
Discovered, Enjoyed by JetBlue Passenger," and weather reports from
JetBlue's destination cities.
Something you won't find:
any mention of the fact that this is an advertisement, not
news.
Flip open the paper, and there is
today's unadulterated Herald. So, yeah, it's a free newspaper
once you get past the front-page ad.
But at the very least, the front
should have been prominently labeled as an ad. This isn't just a
violation of the traditional wall separating business and editorial -
this is an out-and-out demolition.
posted at 5:03 PM |
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MEDIA LOG ARCHIVES
Dan Kennedy is senior writer and media critic for the Boston Phoenix.
