Sid Bernstein (editor)

{{Short description|American publisher (1907–1993)}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox person | name =  | image =  | alt =  | caption = | birth_name = Sidney Ralph Bernstein | birth_date = 1907 | birth_place = | death_date = 1993 | death_place = | nationality = | other_names = | occupation = | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }}

'''Sidney Ralph Bernstein''' (1907–1993)<ref name="SidBerAA.NYTobit1of2">{{cite news |author=Wolfgang Saxon |date=May 30, 1993 |title=S. R. Bernstein, 86, Editor and Publisher Of Advertising Age |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/30/obituaries/s-r-bernstein-86-editor-and-publisher-of-advertising-age.html |url-access=limited}}</ref> was chairman of the executive committee of Crain Communications Inc. and had previously served as founding editor and publisher of ''Advertising Age''.

Then-23 year old<ref name=SidBerAA.Chicago/><ref name=SidBerAA.AAobit>{{cite news |newspaper=Advertising Age |title=Sid Bernstein |date=June 14, 1993}}</ref> Sid Bernstein<ref name=WPost93>{{cite news |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1993/05/31/sidney-bernstein-ad-age-chief-dies/34a1ad4a-842a-4cce-aebf-c542fd4f2fa0/?noredirect=on |title=Sidney Bernstein, Ad Age Chief, Dies |date=May 31, 1993}}</ref> was the first editor of ''Ad Age'', and his "Con-SID-erations" column appeared until his death.<ref name=SidBerAA.Chicago>{{cite news |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=May 30, 1993 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/05/30/sidney-r-bernstein-86-ad-age-columnist-editor/ |author=Paul Sloan |title=Sidney R. Bernstein, 86}}</ref>

Bernstein was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Fame in 1989.<ref name=WPost93/><ref name=SidBerAA.NYTobit1of2/>

The late Crain senior editor Fred Danzig<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Advertising Age |url=https://adage.com/article/news/longtime-ad-age-editor-fred-danzig-dies-85/227306 |title=Longtime Ad Age Editor Fred Danzig Dies at 85 |author=Abbey Klassen |date=April 29, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/28/business/advertising-new-editor-appointed-at-advertising-age.html |title=Advertising: New Editor Appointed at Advertising Age |date=May 28, 1984}}</ref> had described the late chairman of the executive committee as "the conscience of the business in many ways,"<ref name=SidBerAA.Chicago/> a statement seconded by Rance Crain, "son of the founder and now president of the corporation."<ref name=SidBerAA.NYTobit1of2/>

He authored ''This Makes Sense to Me: An Opinionated Editor Speaks Out''.<ref name=WPost93/><ref>{{cite book |isbn=978-0872-51022-7 |title=This Makes Sense to Me: An Opinionated Editor Speaks Out |author=Sid Bernstein |year=1976}}</ref>

==Career== A Chicago native, Bernstein began his career as a teen-age "office boy"<ref name=SidBerAA.Chicago/> and messenger<ref name=SidBerAA.NYTobit1of2/> at the company that became Crain (founded in 1916).<ref name=SidBerAA.NYTobit1of2/><ref name=GDCrainObit>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1973/12/17/97460915.pdf |title=G.D. Crain Jr. Dies at 88; Published Advertising Age |date=December 17, 1973}}</ref>

He used his ''Con-SID-erations'' column to make challenges in what ''The Times'' called "outspoken and sometimes outraged tones." When he thought that shipping and handling charges are at times unreasonably high, he formed a group of college students who, as a summer project, went with him to factories and attempted to purchase items at list price. He was even challenged and was asked for an S/H fee.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Advertising Age |title=When 'price' loses meaning |author=Sid Bernstein |date=March 19, 1990 |page=21}}</ref>

==Personal== His undergraduate education was at University of Illinois, and his MBA is from University of Chicago.<ref name=SidBerAA.NYTobit1of2/>

He died Saturday, May 29, 1993.<ref>Weiss Hospital, Parshat NaSo. Funeral was Tuesday, Temple Shalom, Chicago.</ref> "Mr. Bernstein is survived by his wife, Adele, and a son, Henry."<ref name=SidBerAA.NYTobit1of2/><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Advertising Age |url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/19990607/SUB/906070743/recalling-a-simpler-time |title=Recalling a Simpler Time |author=Rance Crain |date=June 7, 1999}}</ref><ref>Henry "Hank" Bernstein worked for Crain Communications and retired 1999.</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernstein, Sid}} Category:20th-century American male writers Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:1907 births Category:1993 deaths