Have you noticed that the Northwest Herald doesn’t have as many cartoons as it did before?

I did as I clicked periodically on the cartoons icon and noticed that new ones were not being posted too often.

The Chicago Reader has an article this week in its “Hot Type” section by Michael Miner entitled,

It notes that the Northwest Herald has an advertising swap deal with WBBM-TV.

As WBBM’s part, it has been running a 15-second television ad between 5 and 6:30 AM.

I can’t say I ever watched any morning television. I prefer sleep.

Miner reports this is the verbiage used in the ad:

“More than 60 awards in 2005,including: best-overall news-paper, AP top-ten sports section, and Fischetti editorial-cartoonist honor. Maybe that’s why more people in McHenry County read the Northwest Herald than all other papers combined. The Northwest Herald — closer to home.”

The problem with the ad is that cartoonist Scott Nychay doesn’t work for the NW Herald anymore. He was let go last October.

Neither do some other people, but the paper’s television ad apparently isn’t bragging about their work in an identifiable way.

Miner’s story is quite comprehensive, including the plight of cartoonists nationwide and the ethics of touting a laid off employee’s work.

When confronted with the situation, Chris Krug, Shaw Newpapers’ suburban group editor told Miner,

“I’m grateful you brought it to our attention. We’re the smallest newspaper group in metropolitan Chicago and we’re battling it out with the Sun-Times and the Tribune and the Daily Herald with extremely limited resources. This was clearly an oversight on our part and not an attempt to gain ground through the work of a former employee.

“I know the ad’s been pulled. It was pulled this morning.”

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The head shot is of Chris Krug. On the Shaw Newspapers’ web site he is identified as Circulation Director, Vice President News, Northwest Newsgroup.”

And, since this story came over the transom, so to speak, it is interesting that McHenry County Blog is playing the role of alternative news source in McHenry County.