My first job was at a regional newspaper and I recall one of the directors responding to my enquiry about the difference in cost of our two main titles - it mig

My first job was at a regional newspaper and I recall one of the directors responding to my enquiry about the difference in cost of our two main titles - it might have been offered hyperbolically, but he stated that they were entirely arbitrary - they could in fact offer them for free if they chose (they in fact had some free downmarket titles). It was the advertising that paid for the entire enterprise. The cover price was simply a bonus and mostly went to the retailer.