WSJ will put ads on front page even as Dow Jones profits rise

Sign No. 27 that newspapers are facing tough times: The Wall Street Journal is putting advertising on its front page.

It's not that I think the front page of a newspaper is sacred. Many newspapers have long resorted to this. And the New York Times has those cute little classified ads along the bottom of its front page. But I do think it is a sign of increased desperation on the part of The Wall Street Journal for ad revenue -- and all print publications are guilty by association.

The front page is prime real estate for any newspaper. You can bet that editors fought the business side bitterly to keep that spot in their domain and lost. That means fewer stories promoted on the front page and less value for readers.

Plus, I agree with Jon Fine who writes in his blog on BusinessWeek Online, "The Journal's front page is one of the few places that makes large swaths of print look pretty. I hate to see elegant design get messed up."

The Journal's parent company, Dow Jones, reported a rise in both earnings and revenues this morning. It says revenue gains at the Journal contributed to the overall gain. But you can bet those gains weren't fast enough for some folks at the company.