The mailbag
How much does it cost to put an ad in the newspaper?
And every other question the desk gets, answered in one breath each, with the deeper page one click away.
Short answers first, sourced pages second. Every figure below traces to the wire credits on its linked page; where the market is quote-only, we say quote-only rather than invent an average, because a made-up number would cost you real money on a real phone call.
Source: WSJ 2026 General Advertising Rate Card, Issue #92, effective Jan 1 2026, retrieved Jul 31, 2026. The recurring WSJ figures throughout come from the 2026 card.
How much does it cost to put an ad in the newspaper?
Five levers set it: tier, format, size, color, frequency. The one published national card (WSJ 2026) runs $352.53 to $1,437.98 per column inch; a local weekly classified costs a few lines times a per-line rate its desk quotes. Full breakdown: the cost guide.
How do I place a newspaper ad, step by step?
Seven steps, two phone calls: the whole workflow with costs at each step is at the ad desk.
Can I negotiate newspaper ad rates?
Yes; the open rate is the price of not asking. The menu and the scripts: negotiation.
What is the cheapest way to appear in print?
A local weekly classified, then the 2x2. The small-money options: classifieds and small ads.
What is a column inch?
One column wide, one inch tall; a broadsheet page holds 126 of them. The unit, with a calculator: column inch.
How much does an obituary cost?
Per line, per day, plus photo fees; length is the bill. The meter and the placement channels: obituaries.
How is a legal notice different from a regular ad?
Statute picks the paper class, fixes the schedule, and demands an affidavit. Rules by state: the notice bureau.
Do newspapers still publish rate cards?
One national card survives (WSJ); the rest quote. Who publishes what: the rate table and the papers desk.
Is newspaper advertising worth it compared to Facebook?
Depends whose attention you need; the sourced comparison is at vs Facebook ads.
How far in advance do I need to book?
Days for weekday display, longer for Sunday and inserts, next-day for classifieds. The two-clock system: deadlines.
A question the mailbag missed? The estimator on the front page answers the numeric ones, and the about page explains how this desk verifies what it prints.