What Is a Masthead?
A masthead is the part of a newspaper, magazine or news website that names the people who produce it and gives publishing details, or, in British and design usage, the publication's name as displayed at the top of the front page.
The Cambridge Dictionary gives the front-page sense first: “the title of a newspaper or magazine that is printed at the top of the front page”. It then gives the staff-list sense with a US label: “a list of the names of the most important people involved in producing and writing for a magazine or newspaper” (Cambridge Dictionary). The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary does the same: “the name of a newspaper at the top of the front page or website”, and, marked North American English, “the part of a newspaper or a news website that gives details of the people who work on it and other information about it” (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries).
Both dictionaries also list the original meaning, the top of a ship's mast, and Cambridge adds the name at the top of a website or of an organization's letters. This guide covers the publishing senses, and mainly the staff list, because that is the one PR teams use.
Mastheads at a Glance
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US meaning | A list of the people who produce a publication, with publishing details | Cambridge; Oxford |
| UK meaning | The publication's title on the front page | The Guardian; Cambridge |
| Where to find the staff list online | A page called Masthead, usually linked from About | Harper's; The Nation; CJR |
| Where it appears in print | Inside the issue; USPS lists the editorial-page masthead as one permitted spot for a periodical's identification statement | USPS Handbook DM 204 |
| Who is listed | Editors, staff, contributors, interns, boards and business staff, depending on the outlet | Our reading of three masthead pages |
| PR use | Finding the right editor; separating staff from contributors and sales; vetting an outlet | Our synthesis |
Two Meanings: The Staff List and the Front-Page Title
The word changes meaning across the Atlantic, which causes real confusion in briefs and contracts. The Guardian's education centre glossary defines “Masthead/title piece” as “the newspaper’s title displayed on the front page” (The Guardian). In that usage, a British editor who says a story ran “under our masthead” means it ran in their publication. An American editor who mentions the masthead is more likely to mean the page of names.
Americans more often call the front-page title the nameplate or flag. Wikipedia's article on the term, which cites the same Guardian glossary, gives “nameplate” as the American English term and “masthead” as the British English one, and says “the flag” is another very common term in the newspaper industry (Wikipedia). We did not find a dictionary that defines nameplate this way, so treat it as industry usage. When a brief or a client uses the word, ask which sense they mean. A request to “check the masthead” before a pitch almost always means the staff list; a request to “put the masthead on the cover of the coverage report” almost always means the logo.
What a Masthead Page Lists
Online, the staff list is usually a page called Masthead linked from About. Three magazine mastheads read on October 11, 2026 show the typical structure:
- Harper's Magazine lists the president and publisher, then editor, executive editor, deputy editor, managing editor, senior editors, assistant editors, interns, contributing editors and contributing artists, followed by business roles including “Vice President, Advertising” and an advertising sales phone line (Harper's).
- The Nation lists editors, then correspondents, columnists, department writers by subject, contributing editors, contributing writers and an editorial board, then publishing staff such as “Associate Publisher, Advertising” (The Nation).
- Columbia Journalism Review opens by saying it “is published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism”, then lists the publisher, editor in chief, editors, fellows, contributing writers and a board of overseers (CJR).
So a masthead answers more than “who works here”. It can show ownership or the publishing body, the editorial chain of command, which subjects have a named owner, and where editorial ends and the business side begins.
Number of names under headings that begin “Contributing”, our count
Source: masthead pages of Harper's Magazine (29 contributing editors, 5 contributing artists, 1 contributing designer), The Nation (14 contributing editors, 16 contributing writers) and Columbia Journalism Review (1 contributing editor, 13 contributing writers). Read October 11, 2026.
Counts are ours and will change as mastheads are updated. Columnists, correspondents and department writers on The Nation's masthead are not counted. The pages do not say whether contributing names are employees.
The point of the chart is not the totals. It is that a large share of names on a masthead may carry titles that do not describe day-to-day staff roles, so the title matters as much as the name.
Why Mastheads Matter in PR
Finding the right editor
The masthead tells you who owns a section or subject. The Nation, for example, names writers for subjects from climate justice to sports. Use it to shortlist the right person, then confirm the fit from their recent bylines, as in Step 3 of how to build a media list. Our suggestion is to pitch the section or beat editor rather than the name at the top: on Harper's masthead, the first name is the president and publisher. For timing a pitch to a themed issue, see how to find a publication's editorial calendar.
Staff versus contributor
“Contributing editor” and “contributing writer” are titles, and the mastheads we read do not say whether those people are employees. That matters when a contributor offers to place a story, or when you are judging whether a piece is staff journalism or outside work. Our explainer on contributor networks and staff bylines covers the paid end of that spectrum.
Editorial versus sales and sponsored content
Mastheads often show where the business side starts. Harper's lists a vice president for advertising and an advertising sales line; The Nation lists an associate publisher for advertising. Those people sell space; they do not assign stories. If an outlet's brand studio or sponsored content team appears on the masthead or in the advertising pages, anything arranged through it is paid content and must be labelled; see how paid content must be labelled.
Checking that a publication is real
A named editorial team is one signal of a real publication. Google News asks news sources for “Clear dates and bylines”, “Information about the authors, publication, and publisher”, “Information about the company or network behind the content” and “Contact information” (Google News policies). A masthead covers part of that list. Our guide to trade publications uses a masthead, named editors and a corrections route as signs of a real editorial operation, and our explainer on journalism trust indicators covers the wider set. A masthead with no matching bylines, or names you cannot find anywhere else, is a reason to look harder.
Visa evidence
Immigration petitions that cite press coverage often have to show the standing of the outlet. Our explainer on whether sponsored articles count as visa evidence notes that circulation, readership data and a description of the intended audience “do work that a masthead alone does not”. Our visa press page describes the masthead and editorial staff as part of the publication-standing evidence we document. See also EB-1A media evidence. None of this is legal advice.
The Masthead in Print and the Postal Statement
In print, look for the staff list on the editorial page or in the opening pages. In the US, it can also carry required postal information. The US Postal Service's handbook for publishers applying for Periodicals mailing privileges says every Periodicals publication needs an identification statement, and lists the permitted locations, including “Masthead on the editorial page if the location of the editorial page is shown on the first page of the publication.” The required elements include the publication title, ISSN or USPS number, issue date, a statement of frequency and the “Name and Address of Known Office of Publication” (USPS Handbook DM 204, Appendix A). That handbook cites an older numbering of the Domestic Mail Manual, so publishers should check the current DMM; for readers, it explains why a print masthead may include a publication office address and frequency alongside the names.
Masthead vs Related Terms
| Term | What it is | Relationship to the masthead |
|---|---|---|
| Nameplate or flag | US terms for the designed title on the front page, per Wikipedia | What British usage calls the masthead |
| Byline | The author credit on a single story | Shows who wrote a piece; the masthead shows who works on the publication. See author bylines |
| Staff or contact page | A page of staff, often with emails or beats | Some outlets use it instead of, or as well as, a masthead |
| Identification statement | Postal details required in US Periodicals | May be printed in the masthead on the editorial page |
| Media kit | Sales material for advertisers | Lists sales contacts, not the editorial team; see press kit vs media kit |
Common Misconceptions About Mastheads
| Myth | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Masthead means the same thing everywhere | Cambridge labels the staff-list sense US; the Guardian uses masthead for the front-page title | Cambridge; The Guardian |
| Everyone on a masthead is a staff journalist | Mastheads list contributing editors and writers, interns, boards and advertising staff | Harper's; The Nation |
| The first name listed is the person to pitch | The first names are often the publisher or editor in chief; Harper's opens with its president and publisher | Harper's; CJR |
| A masthead proves an outlet is credible | Google News asks for author, publisher, company and contact information, not only names | Google News policies |
| The masthead is only a list of names | It can carry the publishing body and, in US print periodicals, the postal identification statement | CJR; USPS |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a masthead in simple terms?
In American usage, it is the list of people who produce a newspaper, magazine or news site, with publishing details. In British usage, it is the publication's title printed at the top of the front page.
Where do I find a publication's masthead?
Online, look for a page called Masthead, usually linked from About; Harper's, The Nation and Columbia Journalism Review all have one. In print, look on the editorial page or in the opening pages of the issue.
Is a contributing editor a staff member?
Not necessarily. Contributing editor is a title, and the mastheads we read do not say whether those people are employees. Check their bylines and ask if it matters for your purpose.
Who on the masthead should I pitch?
Usually the editor of the section or beat that fits your story, confirmed from their recent bylines. The first names are often the publisher or editor in chief, and advertising staff on a masthead sell space rather than assign stories.
What is the difference between a masthead and a nameplate?
In US newsrooms, the nameplate or flag is the designed title on the front page and the masthead is the staff list. In British usage, masthead itself means the front-page title.
Does a masthead prove a publication is legitimate?
It helps but is not enough on its own. Google News asks for information about authors, the publisher, the company behind the content and contact details. For visa petitions, circulation and audience evidence matter as well.
Sources and Methodology
This explainer is built from the Cambridge and Oxford learner's dictionaries, the Guardian's newspaper terminology glossary, the masthead pages of Harper's Magazine, The Nation and Columbia Journalism Review, Google's News policies and a USPS handbook, all read on October 11, 2026. Merriam-Webster blocked automated access on the day, so we do not quote it. The counts in the chart are our own, taken by hand from the three masthead pages, and will drift as the pages change. The use of nameplate and flag in US newsrooms is sourced to Wikipedia and stated as industry usage; we did not find a dictionary that defines it. The PR advice is our synthesis, not a measured norm. Nothing here is legal advice.
- official Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Dictionary: masthead. Front-page title sense; US staff-list sense; website, letterhead and ship senses. Read October 11, 2026.
- official Oxford University Press, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: masthead. Front-page name sense; North American staff sense. Read October 11, 2026.
- guide The Guardian education centre, Newspaper terminology (PDF, uploaded 2011). “Masthead/title piece” definition. Read October 11, 2026.
- official Harper's Magazine, Masthead. Editorial, contributing and business roles. Read October 11, 2026.
- official The Nation, Masthead. Editors, departments, contributors, editorial board and publishing staff. Read October 11, 2026.
- official Columbia Journalism Review, Masthead. Publishing body, editors, contributing writers and board of overseers. Read October 11, 2026.
- guide Wikipedia, Nameplate (publishing). Nameplate as the American term, masthead as the British term, “the flag” as a common industry term. Read October 11, 2026.
- official Google, Google News policies, Publisher Center Help, transparency section. Read October 11, 2026.
- official United States Postal Service, Handbook DM 204, Applying for Periodicals Mailing Privileges, Appendix A. Identification statement locations and elements. Read October 11, 2026.