How to Make a Newspaper Masthead

The masthead shares some of the newspaper's history.

A newspaper masthead is where a reader finds important information about the newspaper, such as names of the staff and management, circulation information and disclaimers. For a newspaper, the masthead is like the credits section at the end of the movie. While there are no set rules to how a masthead is made, there are certain items that frequently appear. You can tailor your masthead to what information you want to share.

Instructions

1. Center the newspaper's logo at the top of the masthead.

2. Write the publisher's name in smaller type below the logo. Continue to use this font and font size the rest of your masthead, occasionally bolding or italicizing words for emphasis.

3. Write the founding date near the top of the masthead, but below the logo. This can be written as, "Founded in 1842."

4. List previous publishers and the time they served, such as "William Johnson 1842-1850."

5. List the important staff members for the newspaper, listing the most important members near the top of the masthead, but below the logo and publisher's name. Group these members by departments, such as opinion, editors, advertising and business management. Bold names or italicize job titles to make the masthead easier to read.

6. List press association affiliations, such as the Associated Press.

7. Write subscription information, such as how to obtain a subscription, the cost and how often newspapers are printed.

8. Write the address of the newspaper near the bottom. This can also include how to contact the paper, such as writing letters to the editor.

References

• New York Times: Newspaper Masthead
• St. Bonaventure University: The Lewis Songer Masthead Collection

Resources

• Build a Newspaper