In Publishing, what is a Masthead?

Some sources refer to the masthead as the flag, banner or the name of a newspaper or periodical, its proprietors, staff, etc., printed in large type at the top of the front page -- note *front" page.

Today some periodicals contain as many as three required boxes: Masthead - Postal regulation and legal ownership; Masthead - Referring to the ownership of the publication, publisher and the senior editorial staff responsible for its copyright information; Masthead - Staff Box, referring to Masthead (ownership) and diluted to include all personnel of that publication.

To be clear, the original term refers to the front of the publication more so than the inside masthead/staffbox (which over time has become an ego statement rather than the original intent). The term was to declare financial ownership and responsibility for the content exactly as it was for shipowners and builders.

The publishing term has become so blurred, due to copyright laws, that the janitor may need to be included in the masthead/staffbox.

If you are interested in writing to a publication for more information on a section or if you have a concern the first place you should look for contact information is the masthead. Not only does it usually have a list of all the department/section heads, it also almost always provides a mailing address and number so you can contact the publication and appropriate person directly.

Never be shy about contacting those who work at your favorite publications. While the letters to the editor and opinion feedback writers often get feedback, it is something special for the other writers to hear from readers.

For those who are starting out in journalism getting on the masthead of a publication is a big step for many new comers to the field of print media. Showing up on a masthead shows your contribution to a paper and often works as a central piece in your portfolio.

While the articles you have written offer you a great byline to show future employers, a spot on the masthead is a permanent record of your role at a publication and whom you worked with. While you may not remember all the details of the places you have worked, a masthead covers all of that, making it a vital thing to keep.

@dfoster - You're right about the importance of checking! Unfortunately, there's no one right way to judge who publishes a website. As an English teacher who does research papers with my students, though, here are some tips I give them:

The name of the publisher often appears at the bottom of the page. The page will generally have a nameplate at the top, and many will have the equivalent of a masthead in an "about us" section.

You can search for information about a website in Google by using this format: www.thesite.com -site:thesite.com. The "-site:" tells Google that you want to look everywhere *but* the site itself.

As an aside, there was a mention to Facebook's "masthead" in the movie The Social Network. I think they were actually talking about something more like the nameplate, though.

Do websites have an equivalent of a masthead? Finding publication and authorship information is even more important on the Internet! I mean, if an organization has enough money publish a magazine or newspaper, you know it has at least a few followers! (Not that you shouldn't still read with caution, of course!)

But just about anyone can put up a professional-looking website quite cheaply. How do you know?