Missouri County and District Fair Association. 321 



THE COUNTY FAIR AND THE PRESS. 



(Rufus Jackson, Mexico, Mo.) 



There are a number of enterprising counties that have no 

 county fair yet support several good local papers, but this is not 

 the rule. As a matter of fact, a good fair and a good paper go 

 hand in hand. The greatest good to be -derived from this 

 mutual connection comes to the county fair. 



I have made observations in connection with the proper 

 advertising of fairs, and I never have yet found a place for a 

 highly expensive calendar or a highly expensive poster, if used 

 to the extreme, that I have known some county fairs to use 

 them. The object is to get the material you have to advertise 

 about your fair before the public in a clean-cut, simple, concise 

 manner, and they will appreciate it more. In this the best re- 

 sults will come through the use of the newspapers in your county, 

 with possibly a few especially good publications at greater dis- 

 tance. Further, I am of the opinion that there is not a news- 

 paper in Missouri that will not gladly co-operate with you in 

 your efforts at advertising your county fair or pushing any good 

 thing for the community. Furthermore, the average paper will 

 give to you more than it receives in return, in so far as actual 

 money compensation is concerned. Let a thorough understand- 

 ing be had with your newspaper man about your fair workings. 

 I think a fair association properly managed should have an 

 appropriation for advertising just as there is an appropriation 

 for premiums for live stock of all kinds, for your agricultural dis- 

 plays, etc. Take that advertising appropriation to your news- 

 paper man and say to him that there is the amount of money 

 the directors have decided to put into advertising. Ask his 

 co-operation and suggestion as how best to spend this money to 

 get the best possible results for the fair. 



If you take this course you will find that the newspaper man 

 will appreciate the position. You have shifted, to some extent 

 at least, the responsibility from your own shoulders to those of 

 your press, and there is no question but that you will receive 

 excellent results. You will always find the newspaper man 

 awake to what is needed in the community. He knows how best 

 to reach the people, and it is to his interest to make the fair go, 

 for it is an institution in the community. It is the public, after 



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