The Baltimore Sun paints a rosy picture of college newspaper advertising

Student media has it all: A local focus, a microcosmic environment, and a captive audience.

Advertisers have noticed, says the Baltimore Sun:

“The health of campus papers is due also, in part, to the explosive growth of the Internet and of Web-based advertising, much of it aimed at the young. About 600 campus papers publish online editions, and advertisers have been quick to exploit their potential. Many campus newspaper Web sites now carry ads from national retail chains and other big-ticket companies.”

A quick fact-check, if you’ll humor me: The “national retail chains and other big ticket companies” pay College Publisher, the company featured in the story, to advertise across the CP network to the students, staff, faculty and alumni reading all those online college papers.

The student papers, as far as I know, don’t see a dime of that money.

It goes to pay for hosting their content. (Matter-of-fact, let’s make this into a reporting exercise: If you advise or work at a college newspaper hosted by College Publisher and you’ve ever been paid for national advertising, let me know.)