The Business Track in Newspapers

Account Executive: On the business side of newspapers, advertising is the lifeblood of the business, even for newspapers that charge a subscription. The sales force develops sales leads by making cold calls, and then follows up on leads in hopes of closing on a deal. If you are enthusiastic and love the rush of making a sale, this is the career for you.

Salary range: $25,000 to 100,000

Marketing and Promotion: To make advertising sales more robust, newspapers need to make sure the circulation in their target community is as large as possible. Marketers will use direct mail pieces, the newspaper's web site and partnerships with local radio or television to attract subscribers. They will also make sure the newspaper is prominently placed on newsstands and in local stores. Depending on the size of their budget, they will also conduct research about the target community to be used by the editor(s) and sales force to better serve the community and advertisers.

Salary range for entry-level positions: $20,000 to $25,000

Publisher: The top job in newspaper industry outside of the owner. Primary focus is on making sure the newspaper is a profitable venture. The walls between sales and editorial used to be formidable, but increasingly, publishers have become involved with the editorial direction of newspapers, particularly if the venture is in financial trouble.

Salary: Varies, depending on the size of the paper.