Glossary of Common Newspaper Terms:

Agate Line - A measurement of newspaper space. There are 14 agate lines to every inch of depth in a newspaper column.

Circulation - The number of copies of a newspaper sold or distributed.

Closing Date - The deadline date specified for your advertising materials to be received by the newspaper.

Column - One of a number of equal-sized vertical units of space in a publication. Columns in the classified section are usually narrower than columns elsewhere in the paper.

Copy - The written advertising message.

Cost Per Thousand (CPM) - A dollar figure used to evaluate the relative cost of a media schedule. For example, if a newspaper ad is estimated to reach 42,000 different households and costs $322.00 per ad, the CPM is $ 7.67 ($322.00/42=$7.67).

Headline - The first line of advertising copy, usually printed in large type.

Insertion - Placing an ad in a newspaper.

Layout - A working drawing that shows how the finished ad will look.

Logo - The symbol of the product or company name.

Mechanical Requirements - The size and form in which a newspaper requires your ad material.

Proof - A copy of a print ad which is furnished to you as soon as the ad is created and before it runs. Corrections can and should be made immediately.

Readership - The number of persons who actually read a newspaper. For example, one household receives a single newspaper (reflected in circulation), but three members of the family actually read it.

Run-Of-Press (ROP) - Your ad is placed anywhere in the newspaper at the publisher’s discretion - with no guaranteed position.