Papers: the last open card
Wall Street Journal advertising cost
The only US national daily still publishing a print rate card, which makes it this site's most-cited document.
The WSJ’s 2026 General Advertising Rate Card (Issue #92, effective January 1, 2026) prices national display at $1,437.98 per column inch, color, open rate, with a national color full page at $181,185. Regional editions start at $352.53 per inch (Western). B&W runs 20 percent below color; contract tiers discount 5 to 35 percent.
Source: WSJ 2026 General Advertising Rate Card, Issue #92, effective Jan 1 2026, retrieved Jul 31, 2026.
Rate posture
Published card
Published national print rate card: per-column-inch open rates with spend-tier contract discounts (5-35%); color rates listed, B&W at 20% discount; 15% agency commission.
Source: WSJ 2026 General Advertising Rate Card, Issue #92, effective Jan 1 2026, retrieved Jul 31, 2026.
Cheapest published figure
$352.53
Western Edition open rate per column inch, color, gross (2026 General Advertising Rate Card; B&W 20% less; national color full page $181,185).
Verified 2026-07-31. Recent changes: New General Advertising Rate Card Issue #92 effective 1 Jan 2026; US print circulation restated to 412,428 (Sept 2025 AAM); national open rate $1,437.98/column inch.
| Line | Figure | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| National edition, color, per col. inch | $1,437.98 | 2026 card |
| Western Edition, color, per col. inch | $352.53 | 2026 card |
| National color full page | $181,185 | 2026 card |
| US print circulation | 412,428 | Sept 2025 AAM, restated in card |
| 'WSJ full page: ~$164,300' | Recycled across the web | Undated legacy figure; see teardown |
Source: WSJ 2026 General Advertising Rate Card, Issue #92, effective Jan 1 2026, retrieved Jul 31, 2026. Teardown of the recycled figures at /cost.
How the regional editions change the buy
The Journal sells its national edition and regional editions (the Western Edition carries the card’s lowest open per-inch rate). For a West Coast firm wanting WSJ prestige in front of West Coast readers, the regional buy delivers the masthead at roughly a quarter of the national per-inch price: $352.53 against $1,437.98. The reader you lose is the one outside your region, who was mostly waste for a regional business anyway.
Process: WSJ display runs through Dow Jones’s ad sales organization, reachable via the media kit site. Expect a materials workflow built for agencies (see file specs); the card’s gross rates carry the traditional 15 percent agency commission, which is a negotiation lever for a direct buyer.
Source: WSJ media kit (wsjmediakit.com), retrieved Jul 31, 2026.
Who this buy fits
The honest fit test
The WSJ sells an affluent, business-decision audience at a documented price. It fits B2B firms selling to executives, financial services, and campaigns where being seen in the Journal is itself the message. It does not fit a metro service business; 412,428 print copies spread nationally means your city’s share of the run is thin. Compare the alternatives: NYT vs WSJ, WSJ vs USA Today, or step down a tier at local vs national.
Source: WSJ 2026 General Advertising Rate Card, Issue #92, effective Jan 1 2026, retrieved Jul 31, 2026. Circulation per the card's AAM restatement.