When word of the Orlando Weekly arrests hit the wires last week, you can be sure our ears were perked. In case you haven't flipped through our back pages, we also carry adult advertisements in our classified sections.
Sharry Smith, publisher of Tampa's Creative Loafing, says she's used the news to review CL's advertising guidelines.
"When things like this come up it's a good opportunity to revisit how we are doing," she says.
All Creative Loafing newspapers have policies in place relating to the advertising of escort services or massage parlors. According to Tampa CL's adult advertising guidelines, the paper does not accept copy or graphics which represent nudity or sexual acts, implied or expressed; make reference to sexual body parts or sexual acts or mask or hide the true nature of what is being sought or offered.
"Anybody can represent themselves in any way, and that's a particularly tough category," she says. However, she adds, "We don't knowingly accept anything that's illegal."
Smith says much of that responsibility falls on advertising employees.
"I inexorably trust our ad reps," she says.
CL's adult services section has gone through many transitions over the years. During one period, the paper did away with the section, only to bring it back shortly thereafter. According to Smith, adult services advertisements account for 10-15 percent of the Tampa paper's ad revenue.
Smith adds, "I feel responsible for making sure what we're doing and how we do business is ethical and legal."
This article appears in Oct 31 – Nov 6, 2007.
