This table traces the changes in advertising rates in the newspaper Shenbao between 1914 and 1934, which were based on four main criteria:

• place: situation in the newspaper (front page, last page, middle pages), location on page, neighborhood and its relative value (editorial, headlines, main news);
• time: frequency/number of insertions, duration of the campaign
• size: first measured by the numbers of characters or lines, then by the space (surface/area) covered by the advertisement. This change of measure unit may respond to the gradual importance of images and visual elements, detrimental to texts/textual elements.
• class/type of line: a complex combination of other criteria (length of line, position, etc).

A color has been associated to each category of "rate" (space value) to facilitate their identification on the mapped pages: the more intense the color, the more expensive the price. This table was made after the advertising rates published by the newspaper itself on its front page, right below the title and subscription rates (1914, 1924), or third page (1934) in our usual samples of the Shenbao:

Jan 7, 1914 (p.1)

本館告白刊例

封面二行起碼第一日每行一元二角第二日起每行七角五分中縫價例同○後幅長行三行起碼第一日每行四角第二至第七日每行二角四分第八日起每行二角短行五十字起碼多則以十字遞加第一日每字五厘第二日至第七日每字三厘第八日後每字二厘半

招請特别訪員

SB, Jan 3, 1924 (p.1)

本館廣告刊例

特等　登於新聞下端計二十七字爲一行以五行起碼每日每行四角五分頭等　登於封面及時評前以二行起碼每日每行一元四角二等長行　登於除第一張外新聞中縫以三行起碼每日每行九角二等短行　登於緊要欗内以五十字起碼每日每字一分二釐三等長行　登於普通地位以三行起碼每日每行八角三等短行　登於普通地位每日每字一分

SB, Jan 5, 1934 (p.3)

本報廣告刋例

特等（甲）豋於報名下以二十六字高為一行共廿二行每日計洋十六元五角

（乙）豋中於提要前以四十字高為一行共十五行每日每方大洋士五元正

（丙）豋於新聞欄中以四十字高為一行每次以三行起碼每日第行大洋七角

頭等（甲）豋於報名旁上對面半版地位每日每版洋一百七十五元

（乙）自下封面起至時評前止每行計八十二字高每次以二行起碼每日每行大洋一元四角

二等登於要分類廣告地位每行以二十字高為限每次至少四行至多一百行每日每行大洋三角

等豋於本埠增刋分類廣告地位以二十高為一行每次以四行起碼每日每行大洋一角六分

本館電話

營業部（廣吿及發行）一〇〇九五　主任室一七〇〇一　庶務處六一五二七　編輯部一四六一二　採訪室六一五七七　總理室及總主筆室六一五七六　電報掛號六〇七八

本館開設上海漢口路二十四號始創自同治十一年即西曆一八七二年