Thinking about moving to Fairbanks? Read this!

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

Sad?

All of those advertisements are for local businesses - helping to keep our neighbors employed. Would you rather people send their money to freaking China?

If an article is going to pass itself off as being a "helpful and informative" piece then it should be written by journalists who have not monetary interest in the information that is being presented. You can write an article about plugging your car in when the temps are below zero without following it up with an advertisement at the bottom of the same page that coincidentally SELLS auto heating units! How transparent is that?

I realize that often when an article is written people say... "Gee where do you buy those????" So perhaps at the END OF THE ARTICLE in small lettering, you could provide a list of local merchants who provide the items mentioned. There is no harm in that. But the article as it was written is NOT about keeping people safe and happy during the Alaskan winter. It is about selling stuff. Pure and simple. Here is the big advertisement in the form of an article and just look at the bottom of the page and there is the company that paid for the article to be written.

That is NOT JOURNALISM. That is marketing.

20yrsinBranson

[Grannysroost]

This is an article from a local newspaper....I have yet to see a newspaper without advertising, kind of like television without commercials...

[gobrien]

I suppose all those shows in Branson are free and unadvertised. I've been there, nice place to take the family. I remember in Missouri there were lots of billboards on the scenic highway on the way to Springfield. I consider that to be more of an affront than ads in newspapers conveniently tied to articles.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

If an article is going to pass itself off as being a "helpful and informative" piece then it should be written by journalists who have not monetary interest in the information that is being presented. You can write an article about plugging your car in when the temps are below zero without following it up with an advertisement at the bottom of the same page that coincidentally SELLS auto heating units! How transparent is that?

I realize that often when an article is written people say... "Gee where do you buy those????" So perhaps at the END OF THE ARTICLE in small lettering, you could provide a list of local merchants who provide the items mentioned. There is no harm in that. But the article as it was written is NOT about keeping people safe and happy during the Alaskan winter. It is about selling stuff. Pure and simple. Here is the big advertisement in the form of an article and just look at the bottom of the page and there is the company that paid for the article to be written.

That is NOT JOURNALISM. That is marketing.

20yrsinBranson

You are making too much of it. You don't have to buy the "auto-heating unit" from the company that advertises it. Just ignore that part, and and learn from the rest. Once you know what you need, you can buy an "auto-heating unit" from anybody you want, even Amazon, and install it yourself or your mechanic.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

If an article is going to pass itself off as being a "helpful and informative" piece then it should be written by journalists who have not monetary interest in the information that is being presented. You can write an article about plugging your car in when the temps are below zero without following it up with an advertisement at the bottom of the same page that coincidentally SELLS auto heating units! How transparent is that?

I realize that often when an article is written people say... "Gee where do you buy those????" So perhaps at the END OF THE ARTICLE in small lettering, you could provide a list of local merchants who provide the items mentioned. There is no harm in that. But the article as it was written is NOT about keeping people safe and happy during the Alaskan winter. It is about selling stuff. Pure and simple. Here is the big advertisement in the form of an article and just look at the bottom of the page and there is the company that paid for the article to be written.

That is NOT JOURNALISM. That is marketing.

20yrsinBranson

Here's an idea. Since you find this so offensive, don't ever go to Fairbanks.

[Karladee67]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

If an article is going to pass itself off as being a "helpful and informative" piece then it should be written by journalists who have not monetary interest in the information that is being presented. You can write an article about plugging your car in when the temps are below zero without following it up with an advertisement at the bottom of the same page that coincidentally SELLS auto heating units! How transparent is that?

I realize that often when an article is written people say... "Gee where do you buy those????" So perhaps at the END OF THE ARTICLE in small lettering, you could provide a list of local merchants who provide the items mentioned. There is no harm in that. But the article as it was written is NOT about keeping people safe and happy during the Alaskan winter. It is about selling stuff. Pure and simple. Here is the big advertisement in the form of an article and just look at the bottom of the page and there is the company that paid for the article to be written.

That is NOT JOURNALISM. That is marketing.

20yrsinBranson

I would think that in order to write articles dont they have to have advertisements to pay for the article space? Im not sure and this is purely a guess so don't attack me please lol

[rwjoyak]

Originally Posted by gobrien

How many people on City Forum remember Fairbanks when it had a JC Penney, a Nordstrom's and a Lamonts? You can probably tell I'm a girl by that question. It just breaks my heart how much downtown Fairbanks has changed since the early '80's. I remember the Woolworth's and the Coop Drug and some other stores around there, and the Pay 'N' Saves that were an early form of Walmart or Walgreens. My dad would drive me to town and we would be bundled up and make the rounds to the places downtown, freezing our you know what's off but having a good time, especially around Christmas.

Those of us that are even longer in the tooth remember that before Nordstroms, the Northern Commerical Company store used to be located in the same place. NCC was really the onlly major department store in town before Penneys, Nordstroms and Lamonts. Decent selection (for Fairbanks) and very good salespeople. Definitely an old time Fairbanks memory.
Check out the related Snopes article at snopes.com: Nordstrom Tire Return. It's related because NCC did operate a tire store (my uncle worked there) along with their department store in Fairbanks before they sold out to Nordstroms. I bet the tire return mentioned on Snopes happened in Fairbanks.

[gobrien]

That is really cool, I actually do remember the NCC store, but I was just a little squirt and couldn't quite merge my memory of that store into how it turned into a Nordy's. Interesting article!

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

BUT, in these times of bad economy, I can certainly save a lot of cash. I was at WalMart recently, and noticed Mobil 1 and Castrol synthetic engine oils on sale for $21.00 per 5-gal container It costs nearly $46.00 at NAPA, and around $33.00 at Eielson AFB.

............Well, I gave it a month's time, and nobody has commented on that "fantastic" price of: "$21.00 per 5-gal for Mobil-1"!! I was getting ready to hook up a 53' trailer and drive on up and "load 'er up"!
Just kiddin' Ray............even at $21.00 PER 5-QUART container, it's a damn good price.

Ya know though.....if I did come on up, I'd probably been stopped at the boarder by Met........bein' as I'm from the -48.......Happy New Year everybody...............and may "your 1st Mates" forever stay out of jail"

[1stimestar]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

If an article is going to pass itself off as being a "helpful and informative" piece then it should be written by journalists who have not monetary interest in the information that is being presented. You can write an article about plugging your car in when the temps are below zero without following it up with an advertisement at the bottom of the same page that coincidentally SELLS auto heating units! How transparent is that?

I realize that often when an article is written people say... "Gee where do you buy those????" So perhaps at the END OF THE ARTICLE in small lettering, you could provide a list of local merchants who provide the items mentioned. There is no harm in that. But the article as it was written is NOT about keeping people safe and happy during the Alaskan winter. It is about selling stuff. Pure and simple. Here is the big advertisement in the form of an article and just look at the bottom of the page and there is the company that paid for the article to be written.

That is NOT JOURNALISM. That is marketing.

20yrsinBranson

Wow, that's pretty offensive from someone who is from one of the most commercialized towns in the lower 48.