Just A Little Bit Wrong

An out-of-town advertising specialty company contacted local businesses pitching a public service refrigerator magnet listing community agency phone numbers. The list includes sheriff, police, fire, hospitals, some national emergency hotlines, etc. The list is surrounded by ads from the advertisers who paid for the product.

The advertising company found enough takers to produce the piece, and called likely public service agencies that would be reasonable distribution points.

In addition to the ads, the margins identify two public service agencies chosen to be distribution points.

The library's name is spelled wrong in both the service agency listing and the "Distributed by" box in the margin.

The library agreed to be a distribution point in a brief telephone conversation. No one at the library had any role in securing advertisers, or reading proof on the copy before the piece was printed and distributed.